Mobile app documentation provides information about a mobile application’s functionality, architecture, design, and development process. It serves as a roadmap for the app, providing direction and guidance to the team involved in its development.

Think of mobile app documentation as a blueprint for a building. Just as architects and builders need a blueprint to understand how the building should look and function, app developers and managers need documentation to comprehend the app's purpose, functionality, and structure. It gives them a clear and detailed understanding of the app before, during, and after its development.

Typically, mobile app documentation is not a single document, but a collection of several documents and other files that provide a holistic view of the app. It includes technical specifications, user manuals, troubleshooting guides, visualizations, and more.

4 Reasons for good documentation in mobile development 

Mobile app documentation is a fundamental part of the application development process, ensuring that the app is built coherently and efficiently. Let's explore how software documentation practices contribute to the mobile app development process.

1. Clear Communication and Collaboration

Mobile app documentation provides a common language for everyone involved in the app's development - from the developers and designers to the testers and project managers. This shared understanding eliminates confusion and prevents communication gaps, leading to a smoother and more efficient development process.

Furthermore, documentation serves as a reliable reference point for the team. Whenever there's a disagreement or confusion about the app's features or functionality, the team can refer back to the documentation. This helps in resolving disputes and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

2. Streamlining Development Process

Mobile app documentation is instrumental in streamlining the development process. It provides a clear and detailed roadmap for the app, outlining its features, functionality, and architecture. This helps the team understand what needs to be done and how to go about it, leading to a more organized and efficient development process.

Moreover, documentation aids in task allocation and management. It allows project managers to assign tasks to the team based on their skills and expertise. It also helps in tracking the progress of the project, ensuring that the development is on schedule and within budget.

3. Quality Assurance and Testing

Mobile app documentation plays a vital role in quality assurance and testing. It provides a detailed guide for the testers, outlining the app's expected functionality and performance. This enables the testers to conduct thorough and accurate testing, ensuring that the app meets its intended objectives.

Furthermore, documentation aids in troubleshooting. It includes a list of potential problems and their solutions, helping the testers identify and resolve issues quickly and efficiently. This not only improves the quality of the app but also reduces the time and cost of testing.

4. Maintenance and Scaling

Mobile app documentation is crucial for maintaining and scaling the app. It provides information that makes it easier for the team to update the app, add new features, or scale it to accommodate more users.

Moreover, documentation ensures the app's longevity. If the original developers or managers leave the project, the new team can refer to the documentation to understand the app and carry forward its development. This ensures that the app continues to evolve and improve, even in the face of personnel changes.

Documentation best practices

Now that we understand the importance of mobile app documentation, let's explore some of the best practices for creating effective documentation.

  1. Clarity and Consistency

Mobile app documentation should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. It should provide a detailed overview of the app, explaining its purpose, functionality, and architecture in simple and straightforward terms.

Moreover, the documentation should be consistent in its style and format. It should follow a standard template or format, making it easy for the team to navigate and understand. A haphazard and inconsistent documentation can lead to confusion and misunderstanding, hampering the development process.

  1. Create Different Types of Documentation

As mentioned earlier, mobile app documentation is not a single document but a collection of several documents. Each document serves a specific purpose and caters to different stakeholders. Therefore, it's important to create different types of documentation, catering to the needs of the developers, testers, project managers, and even the end-users.

For instance, the technical specification document provides a detailed overview of the app's architecture and design. It is primarily used by the developers and designers. On the other hand, the user manual provides a guide on how to use the app. It should be brief, non-technical, and provide useful information for end-users. Simpler mobile apps might require only a quick-start guide, or might rely on in-app help to guide users. 

  1. Structure and Organization

Mobile app documentation should be well-structured and organized. It should follow a logical sequence, starting from the app's overview and functionality to its design and architecture. This makes it easy for the team to navigate through the documentation and find the information they need. Moreover, the documentation should be well-indexed and categorized. It should include a table of contents, headers, sub-headers, and bullet points to enhance readability.

  1. Make Documentation Accessible

Documentation is of no use if it is difficult to find or understand. Thus, it should be stored in a location that is readily accessible to all team members and organized in a manner that makes it easy to navigate. If you have a developer portal for your organization, documentation should be a central part of that portal.

For user-facing documentation, the best way to make documentation accessible is to embed it within the app experience. Many applications provide a help option in their menu, allowing users to search for specific concepts or issues and receive knowledge base articles, FAQs, videos, or other relevant information. 

  1. Incorporate Screenshots and Diagrams

Another effective practice is to incorporate screenshots and diagrams into the documentation. Visual aids can offer a clearer understanding of the app's functionalities and workflow than text alone. Screenshots can provide a real-time view of the application, showing how it looks and operates. Similarly, diagrams can help elucidate complex functionalities or workflows, making them easier to comprehend. Many development teams are using the C4 Model to create diagrams of an application at different levels of abstraction.

  1. Regular Updates and Versioning

As the application evolves, so should its documentation. Every significant change should be recorded. This practice will ensure that the documentation accurately reflects the current state of the application.

Moreover, versioning should also be employed. Each version of the app should have its corresponding documentation, allowing for easy reference and comparison. This practice can be particularly helpful in understanding the progression of the app and identifying when and why certain changes were made.

  1. Leverage Tools for Documentation Generation

Numerous tools and platforms can automate parts of the documentation process, making it more efficient and less prone to human error. These tools can generate documentation from code comments, track changes, and even assist in organizing and storing the documents. By leveraging these tools, teams can ensure that their documentation is accurate, up-to-date, and easy to manage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mobile app documentation is an invaluable resource in the world of application development. It facilitates clear communication, streamlines the development process, and aids in quality assurance and testing.

By adhering to best practices such as making the documentation accessible, incorporating visual aids, keeping it updated, and leveraging documentation generation tools, teams can maximize the value of their documentation and ensure the successful development and maintenance of their mobile applications.

Author: Gilad David Maayan

A technology writer who has worked with over 150 technology companies including SAP, Imperva, Samsung NEXT, NetApp and Check Point.