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Documentation in Agile
Steffen Burzlaff
Learn the basics of creating documentation in any agile framework.
Agile Basics
There are several frameworks for agile work, but at their core, each one values:
Individuals and interactions
Working product increments
Collaborating with customers
Responding quickly to change
Read the Agile Manifesto that started it all and learn more about agile.
Where Documentation Fits
Generally, agile is great; but it's important to understand what it means for documentation specifically. Especially since the Agile Manifesto states that "extensive documentation" is not as highly valued as working product increments.
The key to agile documentation is understanding how to minimize the creation of documentation as the product is designed and built and how to reuse that content to create the final documentation. In the end, there should be a set of up-to-date documentation about what the product actually does rather than a paper trail of project documentation about what the team thought it would do.
Let's walk through each phase of the agile process and see how documentation fits in. Consider the agile framework your team uses and think about how and where to apply these tips. Remember, there isn't one way to do agile. The only qualifier is that your team values the agile principles above.
See also: Tom Johnson's thoughts on following Scrum with documentation projects.
