Writing good documentation is an overlooked aspect of software development that is often left to the last minute and done in a haphazard way. Some of our teams have found documentation quadrants a handy way to ensure the right artifacts are being produced. This technique classifies artifacts along two axes: The first axis relates to the nature of the information, practical or theoretical; the second axis describes the context in which the artifact is used, studying or working. This defines four quadrants in which artifacts such as tutorials, how-to guides or reference pages can be placed and understood. This classification system not only ensures that critical artifacts aren't overlooked but also guides the presentation of the content. We've found this particularly useful for creating onboarding documentation that brings developers up to speed quickly when they join a new team.
