Twitter Chat: Chapter 6 Recap
Tags: books, bookclub, documentation
Published: 2022-01-03 19:54:54

<small>Cover Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@chrisjdavis?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Chris J. Davis</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/twitter?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></small>

We started a book club! Each week we host a Twitter chat on Thursdays to discuss a chapter of [Docs for Developers](https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4842-7217-6). 

On Thursday Dec. 30th we had our 6th Twitter chat, hosted on the [@DevEdBookClub Twitter](https://twitter.com/DevEdBookClub) account about Chapter 6. 

This post is a recap of the chat and a place to continue the conversation.

## Visual Content
**What docs have particularly good examples of visual content?**
**What do you like about them?**

[Megan Sullivan](https://twitter.com/meganesulli) pointed to Vue’s documentation and [this flow chart](https://vuejs.org/v2/guide/instance.html#Lifecycle-Diagram) in particular as a good example of visual content. 
![Vue Lifecycle diagram](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/lr2elmhulsmm6txx8xjf.png)
 
 
{% twitter 1476736131232256002 %}

[Portia](https://twitter.com/AgencyCecil) mentioned [Julia Evan’s](https://twitter.com/b0rk) programming zines called [Wizard Zines](https://wizardzines.com/). They use visuals to cover a variety of topics like Bash, Networking, and Linux. 
{% twitter 1476745050159824897 %} 

[Dvkr](https://twitter.com/_dvkr) gave a shout out to the comics that are found in React’s new beta documentation. They enjoy how the comics personify React. 

[Aisha Blake](https://twitter.com/AishaBlake) said she liked [Plaid’s documentation](https://plaid.com/docs/) because of the illustrations that help her visualize the use of their product. They combine the visuals with helpful code examples. 

{% twitter 1476737189459464193 %} 

What are your favorite visuals for learning new content? 

## Creating Visuals
**What’s your workflow for creating visual content? At what point in the writing process do you add them?**
**What tools do you use?**
**Do you have any questions about creating visual content that this group might be able to help weigh in on?**

I shared that my workflow changes depending on the content. Sometimes I start with a visual and create content around it. Other times I leave the visuals for the end. I also mentioned I enjoy using Figma and Affinity designer to create visuals that are SVGs. Some of the visuals I create I like to animate and SVGs make this easier to accomplish. 
I use Procreate when creating an image. 

{% twitter 1476742105406087169 %}

[Valeria](https://twitter.com/vlrmigova) uses online white boards like [Weje](https://weje.io/online-whiteboard) to manage multiple projects and visualize their workflow. 
{% twitter 1476786555708657665 %}

Aisha and Portia both admitted they have a hard time creating visual content. Aisha likes to commission illustrations when possible. Portia tries to draw something on paper first and then uses tools like [Miro](https://miro.com/).
{% twitter 1476742781930459145 %}
{% twitter 1476748136911671299 %}

Do you have a preferred workflow? What tools do you like to use to create visuals for your documentation?

## Favorite Takeaways
**What takeaways from this chapter can you apply to your own documentation practice at work?**

**Any quotes or ideas that resonate with you?**

[Sarah Rainsberger](https://twitter.com/sarah11918) had two favorite takeaways. First, she liked the message “Simplify to Amplify". Visuals can be really helpful but can also be very distracting.
{% twitter 1476752775316967425 %} 
Second, she appreciated the reminder that screenshots aren’t always the best option. They lack text for screen readers. Use in your documentation only when they are the **best** option. 
{% twitter 1476754273933348869 %}

Portia added she would have liked a section in the book that talked about maintaining visuals. A lot of documentation sites struggle with keeping their visuals up-to-date.

{% twitter 1476749810820603904 %}



## Join the Conversation 🗣
You can see the full conversation on the DevEdBookClub Twitter account. 
{% twitter 1476734912812097540 %}

Add a comment on the Twitter thread or share your thoughts here to continue the conversation. 

What did you think about Chapter 6 of Docs for Developers?