We all know that sharing technical information in a clear (and ideally visually appealing way) makes it more memorable and understandable. I saw a perfect example of it today with the electronics example of making a 555 timer.
What most descriptions do
- Tell you what you need so you can start out with supplies.
- Provide an overview
- Provide a circuit diagram
- Give you tips
- Show clear pictures of the completed breadboard. Ideally from different angles.
What blows me away
The graham cracker 555 timer. It has everything that really belongs in the 555 timer:
- 555 chip – chocolate looking thing in middle
- 9 volt battery – chocolate looking thing on lower left
- three resistors – marshmallows with color stripings.
- 1 microfarad capacitor – candy in top right
- LED – red jelly thing
- Wires – blue and red frosting
How do I use this?
Remember tech documentation doesn’t have to be boring. The Head First series uses cartoons. The Developer’s Notebook uses journaling. Manning usually uses stories and jokes. All of this serves to keep us engaged in the material as we read. If our brains are paying attention, we learn more.
What I didn’t tell you was that the wiki page was written by a high school student. Don’t lose that skill after you graduate. We need more tech writers who remember being fun fits in!