Make better documents.

Discovered: Jul 14, 2024 21:30 Make better documents. - Anil Dash <– some great questions springing from empathy! –> QUOTE: ` 1. Who are you addressing with your document? … 2. What is their day like, and what other distractions, concerns or priorities might they have? … 3. What’s the most likely goal they are going to have, or answer they are trying to get, by looking at your work? … 4. What understanding do they have about your initial context and your own goals and needs? … 5. What historical context are you assuming about the audience and how they’ll see your message? …6. Is the framing and narrative that you’re using relevant and culturally appropriate to its intended audience? … 7. If you are asking for something, is it absolutely crystal clear that you are asking for something, and if there are options to choose from, are the options (along with their pros and cons) explictly laid out? … 8. If there’s a decision involved, can you articulate which other parties may have a stake in that decision, and whether they’ve been consulted or not? Can you clearly articulate the counter-arguments to any answers you’re proposing? Are those objections valid and legitimate? … 9. If the document requires a response or a decision, have you identified a timeframe or a deadline for that decision, and explained why that timeline is relevant — both to you and to the intended audience? … There are more questions in this vein, but what you’ll find as a unifying thread amongst all these questions is starting from a standpoint of asking about empathy and perspective.`