Teaching the art of great documentation

Google's technical writing courses, Technical Writing One and Technical Writing Two, are designed to demystify the process of writing clear and effective documentation for software engineers and product managers. These courses, introduced in 2015 and made publicly available in February 2020, aim to make the task of technical writing less daunting by providing practical guidance on audience engagement, sentence structure, and the use of active voice. Technical Writing One focuses on the basics, such as thinking about the audience and constructing clear sentences, while Technical Writing Two delves into more advanced skills like organizing large document sets and creating tutorials. The courses are structured to include self-study materials and facilitator-led live classes with exercises and peer feedback, making them suitable for both individual learning and organizational training. As remote work becomes more prevalent, the importance of well-crafted documentation has increased, empowering engineers to work more independently and effectively.