Seven Small Explanations Worth Keeping for Next Year

A review of technology documentation often begins with what needs rewriting. There is also a useful question in the other direction: which small explanations are still doing their job?

The seven examples here are fictional. They are not claims about a client, an incident avoided or measured savings. They illustrate a way to notice clear writing without turning the review into a performance claim.

Key takeaways

• A useful explanation answers a recognizable reader question.

• Short labels can carry important context.

• Keep examples that remain accurate, not merely familiar.

• Fictional illustrations should never become implied client history.

Seven Fictional Examples

The name that joined two vocabularies

A sample note puts the product name beside the nickname used by a team. A new reader can recognize that the two phrases refer to the same place. Its narrow job is naming, not software selection.

The caption that explained the picture

A fictional diagram has a caption explaining what its arrows mean. The reader need not guess whether a line shows sequence or information flow. The caption is small because its question is small.

The date that stayed with the sentence

A sample update includes the period it describes. When copied elsewhere, it still points to the intended moment rather than floating on the word "currently." It preserves context without claiming a later update.

The glossary that knew its audience

A short vocabulary note explains a term that the writer knew but the reader did not. Google's audience guidance describes this knowledge gap as central to useful documentation. The glossary addresses that gap rather than adding every related term.

The question that remained a question

A fictional discussion log marks a point as open instead of completing it with a plausible answer. The note helps a later reader see the boundary of what was understood.

The example labelled where it appeared

A sample chart says "fictional illustration" next to its invented numbers. The label travels with the chart rather than relying on an explanation several pages away. It keeps a demonstration from looking like evidence.

The ending that named the outcome

A fictional walkthrough ends with the participant finding a workshop room. The recap says exactly that, rather than claiming the entire product has been validated. The explanation has an endpoint proportionate to its example.

These are candidates for a documentation review, not a claim that every team needs seven new documents. The useful habit is to name what an explanation does well, then check whether that description is still true.

Sources for the definitions and writing principles discussed here: Google, Technical Writing One: Audience, last updated March 28, 2025; Google developer documentation style guide, Tables, last updated March 21, 2025. The examples and suggested discussion formats are illustrative.

Frequently asked questions

Are these stories from real clients?

No. All seven are invented illustrations of writing choices.

Should an old explanation be kept because people like it?

Familiarity is not enough. Its meaning and factual basis still need to be accurate.

Does the review need a new system?

No. A short note inside the existing documentation can be enough for a discussion about what remains useful.

A practical next step

Before rewriting everything, identify one explanation whose job is still clear. Describe the reader question it answers and why the wording still fits. Book a Decision-Clarity Call for help making technology work easier to explain.