The following are some examples / explanations of different types of common documentation.
It is often helpful to have a specific type of document in mind when writing documentation as opposed to “document everything about X project”. Use this list as inspiration for the different documents that might make up the documentation for a project.
Design Doc - An evolution of the project proposal. Includes the up-to-date deliverables timeline, project background/overview, and success requirements.
Procedures - Sets of steps which must be followed exactly, especially in safety-critical contexts. Eg: “Recovery Electronics Sled Assembly Procedure“.
Tutorials - Guides for onboarding new members who might not have in-depth technical knowledge. Eg: “Solidworks Basics“.
How-To’s - Less formal steps than procedures, designed to be more instructional. Eg: “How to size a vent hole” or “How to configure the live telemetry radios“.
Design Explanation - Deep dive into the design decisions made and tradeoffs considered with a focus on explaining why past choices were made. Eg: “Containerized GSE Layout Explanation“.
System Architecture Guide - Overview of the components that make up a system and how they interconnect. Useful for onboarding members with technical experience to this project specifically. Eg: “Electrical Block Diagram”.
Component-level Walkthroughs - Detailed explanation of one specific component in a system. Intended to be read when someone with technical knowledge needs to debug or make changes to the component. Eg: “Towerside Briefcase Mechanical Design“.
Technical Reference - Quick reference documentation for information that is needed frequently while working on the system. Eg: “Standard CAN Connector Pinout” or “Key Engine Parameters”.