Documentation Templates

Documentation templates provide pre-structured formats for creating design system documentation pages. Templates ensure consistent structure, comprehensive coverage, and efficient authoring across documentation types. Effective templates reduce time to create documentation while improving quality.

What Are Documentation Templates

Documentation templates are reusable starting points for documentation pages. A component documentation template might include sections for description, props, examples, accessibility, and related components. Authors fill in content rather than deciding structure from scratch.

Templates encode documentation standards. Rather than requiring authors to remember what sections component documentation needs, templates make requirements visible. Missing sections become obvious during authoring rather than discovered during review.

How Documentation Templates Work

Creating templates involves analyzing documentation needs for each content type. What information should every component page include? What sections do pattern pages need? What structure works for getting started guides? Answers to these questions become template structures.

Templates balance structure with flexibility. Overly rigid templates may not accommodate all content. Overly flexible templates provide insufficient guidance. Effective templates define required elements while allowing extension for unique needs.

Template implementation varies by documentation platform. Markdown templates might be starter files authors copy and fill in. Documentation frameworks may support template definitions that scaffold new pages. Content management systems often have explicit template features.

Key Considerations

• Templates should encode documentation requirements making standards visible
• Structure should balance consistency with flexibility for unique content needs
• Implementation should match documentation platform capabilities
• Templates should be updated as documentation standards evolve

Common Questions

What types of documentation templates should design systems have?

Common template types include component documentation templates with sections for description, props, examples, and accessibility. Pattern documentation templates cover problem context, solution approach, and implementation guidance. Getting started templates structure progressive onboarding content. How-to templates format problem-solution pairs. Release notes templates organize change communication. Teams should create templates for each recurring documentation type they produce.

How do teams maintain templates as documentation needs evolve?

Template maintenance requires treating templates as maintained artifacts. When documentation reviews reveal missing sections, templates should be updated to prevent future omissions. When new documentation types emerge, new templates should be created. Periodic template reviews ensure templates still match current needs. Changes to templates should consider existing documentation that may need updates to match new template standards. Versioned templates may help manage transitions.

Summary

Documentation templates provide pre-structured formats ensuring consistent, comprehensive documentation pages. Templates encode documentation standards and reduce authoring effort. Effective templates balance structure with flexibility and require ongoing maintenance as documentation needs evolve.