Welcome
About this portfolio
This portfolio contains sample documentation that demonstrates my approach to technical writing using modern documentation tools and techniques. The samples include a how-to guide, a tutorial, and a reference document.
In my previous role, I worked as a developer in a scientific computing setting, where I maintained software distributed on high-performance computing infrastructure, and taught new team members how to work confidently with the tools that we used.
I wanted to present samples that reflect my technical skill set and background, and showcase my experience writing to address the needs of software teams in production settings. I designed a fictitious software project—an air quality monitoring system maintained by a university research team—and created documentation covering developer onboarding in a setting where getting started can be challenging.
How I built this site
I built this site using Hugo, a static site generator. I used Markdown to author content, and a combination of YAML and SCSS to configure the site’s presentation. In some places, I extended the site’s theme to add new features, or to fix an issue with formatting. The site’s full source is available on GitHub.
To manage testing and deploying the site, I developed a CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions that includes a Markdown linter and a link checker. As I make changes to the site’s source code or content, it is automatically built, tested, and deployed via GitHub Pages. To see how I set up this pipeline, see the workflow files for CI tests and deployment.
Research and writing process
Along with the source code for this site and its content, I also provide an open look into my research process. You can view my full research notes in the site repository.
Research is a large part of the writing process. I wanted to show my approach, and offer transparency about the resources that I used when designing the scenario presented in this documentation.
I used Microsoft’s Writing Style Guide to write and proofread content. I used this project as an opportunity to learn and apply Diátaxis, which is a system for authoring and organizing technical documentation.