Minimalist Writing¶

Minimalist technical writing provides users with the minimum information needed to accomplish their goals. It resists the urge to explain everything, trusting users to figure out what they can and providing help only where needed.

The minimalist approach emerged from research showing that users learn better from doing than from reading, and that excessive documentation often hinders rather than helps.

The Minimalist Philosophy¶

Users Want to Act, Not Read¶

Users approach documentation with tasks to complete. They want to:

Start quickly
Accomplish goals
Solve problems
Return to their real work

Documentation is a means to an end, not an end itself.

Less Is Often More¶

Research on documentation effectiveness found:

Users skip lengthy explanations
Detailed manuals often go unread
Too much information obscures essential content
Users learn by doing, not by reading

Providing less well-chosen content often produces better outcomes than comprehensive coverage.

Trust the User¶

Minimalism trusts that users:

Have relevant background knowledge
Can explore and experiment
Will seek help when needed
Do not need everything explained

This trust shapes what documentation includes and omits.

Minimalist Principles¶

Action-Oriented Content¶

Focus on what users need to do:

Verbose:

The configuration file is an important part of the system. It contains various settings that control how the application behaves. These settings include authentication parameters, database connections, and logging preferences. Understanding this file is essential for proper system administration. In this section, we will discuss how to modify the configuration file to customize your installation.

Minimalist:

To customize your installation, edit the configuration file:

Open config.yaml in a text editor.

Modify the settings you want to change.

Save the file and restart the application.

The minimalist version tells users what to do. The verbose version tells them about the file.

Meaningful Headings¶

Headings should convey what users can accomplish:

Vague:

Introduction Background The Configuration File Next Steps

Action-oriented:

Installing the Application Configuring Authentication Connecting to Your Database Troubleshooting Connection Errors

Users scanning headings should immediately understand what they will learn or accomplish in each section.

Error Recognition and Recovery¶

Rather than trying to prevent all errors, help users recover:

Preventive (verbose):

Before entering your API key, make sure you have created one in the dashboard. API keys are found in Settings > API. You must have administrator privileges to create keys. Keys should be kept secure and not shared. If you enter an invalid key, you will see an error message.

Recovery-focused (minimalist):

Enter your API key.

Key not working? Create a new key in Settings > API.

Trust users to try things. Provide help when they encounter problems.

Relevant Information Only¶

Include only information users need for the task at hand:

Excessive context:

Webhooks were first introduced in version 2.0 of our platform. They provide a way for external services to receive notifications when events occur in your account. This is based on the HTTP callback pattern, sometimes called a web callback or HTTP push API. Many modern applications use webhooks for real-time integration.

Relevant only:

Webhooks notify external services when events occur in your account.

To set up a webhook: 1. Go to Settings > Webhooks. 2. Click Add Webhook. 3. Enter the URL that should receive notifications. 4. Select which events trigger notifications. 5. Click Save.

Background information does not help users accomplish their task.

Minimalist Techniques¶

Start with the Task¶

Lead with what users will accomplish:

Information-first:

This guide explains the authentication system, including supported methods, configuration options, and security considerations. After reading this guide, you will understand how authentication works in the platform.

Task-first:

This guide helps you set up authentication for your application. You will configure an authentication method and test that users can sign in.

Task-first orientation helps users immediately assess relevance.

Cut Ruthlessly¶

Question every element:

Does this sentence help users accomplish their goal?
Would users notice if this paragraph were removed?
Is this explanation necessary, or can users figure it out?
Does this warning address a realistic problem?

If content does not clearly serve users, cut it.

Provide Anchored Information¶

When explanation is necessary, anchor it to tasks:

Unanchored:

API rate limits prevent abuse and ensure fair usage across all customers. Different endpoints have different limits. Exceeding limits results in 429 errors.

Anchored:

If you receive a 429 error, you have exceeded the API rate limit. Wait one minute before retrying, or reduce your request frequency.

Information connected to problems users actually encounter is more useful than abstract explanation.

Use Progressive Disclosure¶

Provide basic information immediately; make details available but not required:

## Quick Start

1. Install the package: `npm install acme`
2. Import it: `import { Acme } from 'acme'`
3. Initialize: `const client = new Acme({ key: 'YOUR_KEY' })`

??? info "Advanced configuration options"
    Additional options include:
    - `timeout`: Request timeout in milliseconds (default: 30000)
    - `retries`: Number of retry attempts (default: 3)
    - `baseUrl`: Override the default API endpoint

Users who need details can access them. Users who do not are not burdened.

Support Exploration¶

Enable learning by doing:

Controlling:

Do not proceed until you have completed all previous steps. Following steps out of order may cause errors. Make sure to read all instructions before beginning.

Supportive:

Try the default settings first. You can customize configuration later.

Let users experiment and learn from results.

Minimalism in Different Document Types¶

Getting Started Guides¶

Minimize time to first success:

Single clear goal
Fewest possible steps
Only essential prerequisites
Immediate verification

Example:

Quick Start¶

Get your first project running in under 5 minutes.

Install the CLI: brew install acme-cli

Create a project: acme init my-project

Start the server: acme run

Open http://localhost:3000 to see your project.

Procedures¶

Focus on steps, minimize preamble:

Before:

Changing your password is an important security practice. You should change your password regularly, especially if you suspect it may have been compromised. When choosing a new password, use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using personal information or common words.

After:

Change Your Password¶

Go to Settings > Security.

Click Change Password.

Enter your current password.

Enter your new password twice.

Click Update.

Reference Documentation¶

Minimize prose in reference content:

Verbose:

The timeout parameter specifies the number of milliseconds to wait before timing out a request. This is useful when network conditions may cause delays. The default value is 30000 milliseconds, which equals 30 seconds. You can increase this value if you experience frequent timeouts.

Minimal:

Parameter Type Default Description

timeout number 30000 Request timeout in milliseconds

Tables are often more scannable than prose for reference information.

Troubleshooting¶

Focus on symptoms and solutions:

Problem: Connection refused error when starting server

Cause: Port already in use

Solution:

# Find process using port 3000
lsof -i :3000

# Kill the process
kill -9 <PID>

# Or start on a different port
acme run --port 3001

Balancing Minimalism and Completeness¶

When More Is Needed¶

Some situations require more detail:

Safety-critical procedures: Errors have serious consequences
Regulatory requirements: Compliance demands specific content
Complex concepts: Users genuinely need explanation
Troubleshooting: Users need detailed diagnostic information

Minimalism is not about arbitrary brevity—it is about serving user needs.

Finding the Balance¶

Ask:

What do users actually need to accomplish their task?
What will users figure out on their own?
Where are users most likely to get stuck?
What are the consequences of getting it wrong?

Invest detail where users need it most.

Layered Information¶

Use layers to serve different needs:

Summary: What users need in most cases
Details: Additional information for those who need it
Reference: Complete technical information for edge cases

Each layer serves a different user need without forcing everyone through all content.

Common Minimalism Mistakes¶

Insufficient Information¶

Minimalism is not excuse for incomplete documentation:

Missing prerequisites frustrate users
Omitted steps waste user time
Missing error handling leaves users stuck

Minimal means sufficient for the task, not incomplete.

Assuming Too Much Knowledge¶

Know your audience:

Beginners need more guidance than experts
Domain knowledge varies by audience
What seems obvious to you may not be obvious to users

Minimize appropriately for your specific audience.

Eliminating All Context¶

Some context helps users:

Why something matters
When to use a feature
What happens after completing steps

Cut unnecessary context, not all context.

Summary¶

Minimalist technical writing:

Focuses on action: What users need to do
Trusts users: To explore and figure things out
Supports recovery: Rather than trying to prevent all errors
Cuts ruthlessly: Everything not serving user goals
Uses progressive disclosure: Details available but not required

The goal is not shortest possible documentation—it is documentation that most effectively serves users with minimum reading required.

Next: Task-Based Writing covers structuring content around user tasks.