: Re: Can technical writing suck less I currently have the prospect of writing a considerable amount of technical documentation (describing interactions with an extremely complex online service). I consider

@Deb2945533

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I would basically agree with the accepted answer that the main goal of technical writing is to assist someone in a task and it should focus on that. (Most of the time) you want to get a specific job done and fast. I would say most of that applies to online documentation that needs to be terse like short howtos or reference.

However I do disagree that this must apply to all technical documentation and that you must always restrict yourself to dryness. I see no harm in being informed and entertained (if possible).

I think there are several ways to put some fun into documentation.

Use a good design that makes the docs easily readable and aesthetically pleasing
Add images (and or videos) to visualize things
The problem with humor is that not everyone appreciates it. But, if you know your audience well, I think there is no harm in a pun or comic once in a while if it fits, example: pbs.twimg.com/media/DldA_cIXgAADj5w.jpg Another example for terseness and fun to look are some technical sketchnotes. The technique can come in handy for cheat sheets
Add analogies and images to explain things, Example: An introduction to HTTP/2 for SEOs

Source: xkcd.com/293/ License: xkcd.com/license.html

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