When you're working on creating a product summary for a technical product, your first step is to brainstorm your plan.
You should prepare an outline that answers the 5 W's.
- Who is your audience? Who will you interview to learn about the product? Who will be reviewing the content?
- What should the summary cover?
- When is the writing deadline? What does the roadmap timeline look like in order to help you meet the writing deadline?
- Why is the summary needed?
- Where is the summary going to live? How will your audience find the content?
By asking these question, you create the scope for your writing project.
Next, outline what information should be captured in your summary. If there is existing documentation, such as design docs, guides, etc., read or glimpse through those documents to get a sense of the product. You can also use Google search to gain background and introductory information on the subject area. List key words and key concepts the reader might need to know before they start reading the summary.
Then, think about the questions to ask your subject matter expert (SME). Plan an outline to strategize the structure of your summary, and phrase your interview questions to help you fill content into the structure of your doc.
Now that you have done your research and have interviewed your SME, you should have enough information to get started with writing the summary. Start by introducing the topic. Think about the purpose of the product and the value it brings to its users. Evangelize the product. If the technical product summary is intended for a technical audience, describe the basic concepts or prerequisites that the reader might need to know before they jump into writing. Use your outline to structure your summary. Feel free to mention similar products, the competitors, or what sets this product apart from other products. Use visuals if it helps the reader understand the product.
If you are stuck, ask yourself, "By the end of summary, what should the reader know?" When you're writing a summary, your goal is to provide the reader a high-level summary of the topic, rather than getting down to the nitty-gritty of the product. The summary doc is meant to be an introduction of the product.
Once you feel that your work accomplishes the objective of the summary, close off the summary by directing the user to more information. You might want to summarize how to get started to use the product, how to access the product, or learn more about the product. Finally, create a title that describes what the summary is about.