Document Development Life Cycle (DDLC)
Document Development Life Cycle (DDLC) is a crucial process that technical writers use to plan and create top-quality technical documents. It is vital for the documentation team to ensure accuracy and clarity in the document for the end-users to interpret and understand the content smoothly. In this article, we will go through the various steps involved in DDLC.
In Document Development Life Cycle (DDLC), professional writers or documentation experts need to involve themselves in the following steps:
- Requirement Analysis
- Designing Phase
- Developing the content
- Editing / Proofreading
- Publishing
- Maintaining the published content
Requirement Analysis
In this step, the technical writer analyzes the target audience, their requirements, and objectives. They determine if the target audience is internal or external end-users, which tools are best for the project, and how much knowledge the target audience has about the product or service.
Designing Phase
In this step, the technical writer selects specifications like a template, style, layout, format, font, size of the text, etc. They also decide on the type of document suitable for the project and set a deadline.
Developing the Content
The technical writer covers various topics such as a glossary, prerequisites, product features, definitions, procedures, etc. The content must be audience-specific.
Editing or Proofreading
Proofreading the draft is the final step before publishing the document. Here, the technical writer checks the specifications like templates, style, grammar, format, layout, etc. along with the functional and technical aspects. The draft is usually checked through Peer review-through fellow writers, function, and technical review-through a Subject-matter experts (SMEs). All the necessary issues in the draft are resolved in this phase.
Publishing
The document is finally published in this phase. It can be published in various formats for various media channels as per the requirement.
Maintenance
Even after publishing, documents need maintenance because of the updates to the product features, changes, upgrades, etc. Sometimes, Product support centers are also created for better user satisfaction.
Technical writers must follow the DDLC process to ensure the delivery of high-quality technical documents that meet the user’s needs. Following the DDLC process ensures that technical documents are created with accuracy, precision, and clarity. It also helps technical writers save time, effort, and resources, and ultimately helps them serve the purpose of technical writing.
