Scratch Writing Simple Style: A Quick and Easy Guide for Your Organizational Documentation

Welcome to 'Scratch Writing Simple Style,' the no-nonsense  easy guide to creating straightforward and effective organizational documentation. If you're tired of wading through overly complex style guides that leave you more confused than when you started, this is for you.

Our guide cuts to the chase, offering clear, practical advice for writing documents that are easy to use and easy to understand. From team manuals to process guides, our goal is to show you how to strip your writing down to the essentials and deliver information that's as easy to digest as it is to implement.

Scratch Writing Simple Style

First off, this guide is tailored for those looking to craft clear and concise procedures, outlining processes that you need to document, whether that's in a Word file, a PDF, or even, who is to say, on a papyrus scroll or a cuneiform tablet. While we focus on todays common internal digitial documents documentation, it's worth noting that the same principles of organization apply to website content—or any form of writing, for that matter. The medium may change, but the need for well-structured information remains constant. So, let's dive in and simplify your documentation starting now.

1. Document Layout:
   • Use a clean and readable sans-serif font for the body (e.g., Arial or Calibri).
   • Keep margins standardized across all documentation (e.g., 1 inch on all sides).
2. Order of Steps:
   • Present procedural steps in a numbered list format to indicate the sequence of actions.
   • Sub-steps should be presented in an indented list with lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.).
3. Typography:
   • Application Names & Features: Bold any application names and specific features to differentiate them from the rest of the text.
   • File Names: Use a monospace font such as Courier New for file names and paths to make them stand out.
   • Keyboard Shortcuts: Present keyboard shortcuts in a bold and monospace font (e.g., Ctrl + S).
4. Screenshots:
   • Center screenshots within the document to maintain a neat layout.
   • Capture only the relevant parts of the screen to avoid clutter.
   • Label all screenshots clearly as figures (e.g., Figure 1: Dashboard View).
5. Use of Color:
   • Use color sparingly to draw attention to warnings or important notes.
   • Maintain high contrast for readability, especially for users with visual impairments.
6. Notes and Warnings:
   • Use an italicized note to indicate additional information that may help the user (e.g., Note: This feature is only available in the premium version.).
   • Highlight warnings in bold and italic with an appropriate icon to ensure they are not overlooked (e.g., ! Warning: Failure to save before exiting may result in data loss.).
7. Versioning:
   • Include a version number and last updated date at the beginning or end of each document to track changes over time.
8. Glossary:
   • Include a glossary section if the document uses specialized terms, with each term bolded followed by a plain text definition.
9. Links and References:
   • Embed hyperlinks for cross-referencing within the documentation when referring to other sections or external resources.
10. Accessibility:
    • Ensure that all documentation is accessible, with alternative text for images and proper headings for sections.
11. Review and Update Cycle:
    • Establish a regular review cycle for the documentation to keep it up-to-date and relevant.

Let's wrap things up, adopting the Scratch Writing Simple Style means your organizational documentation will be straightforward, easy to read, and practical for everyday use. By following the clear-cut guidelines we've laid out, you'll produce documents that are consistently formatted and easy for your team to follow—no frills, just clarity.

As we conclude this guide, you're now ready to create functional and efficient documentation that can help streamline your processes and communication. Put the Scratch Simple Style to work, and let the simplicity of your documents make a real, practical difference in your organization.