What Makes Docs Beautiful

Docs are often thought of as a purely functional artifact, a packet of content that, when it works, it’s not remembered at all. Those who consume docs, however, can tell whether a manual or docs site pleases their mind and senses in ways that others don’t. We know the feeling of a page that lands and the feeling of a page that drags.

Now, if we agree that docs can be a product, why not seek to build them in a way that pleases consumers? If docs are the entry point for products, shouldn’t they produce a positive feeling that makes users return to them more often and trust them more? Docs that make users feel empowered, or that leave them with learnings. Docs that heal.