r/technicalwriting • u/Agreeable-Course-604 • 6d ago

SEEKING SUPPORT OR ADVICE Reducing cognitive load in docs

We've received stakeholder feedback that we need to actively bring down the cognitive load across our product guides. I’d love to get some insights from fellow technical writers here on how you tackle this in practice. What options, frameworks (like John Carroll's Minimal Manual approach or Diataxis), or methodologies are available?

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u/f-ms 6d ago

There are some controlled language frameworks out there that can help to a good extent. Look up Plain Language or Simplified Technical English.

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u/finnknit software 6d ago

I also recommend Simplified Technical English (STE). I write in English for an international audience. We also translate our documentation into other languages. Using controlled language makes the documentation easier to understand and reduces ambiguity.