Project Documentation: Why It Matters and How to Do It Right

The Documentation Problem

Everyone agrees documentation is important. Nobody wants to write it. The result? Tribal knowledge, confusion, and new team members who have no idea where to start.

But documentation doesn't have to be painful.

Document as You Go

The biggest mistake is treating documentation as something you do "later." Later never comes. Instead, build documentation into your workflow.

Easy opportunities:

• When making a technical decision, write a brief note explaining why
• When setting up a process, create a checklist others can follow
• When solving a tricky problem, document the solution
• When onboarding someone, turn your explanations into guides

In TaskLemon, you can add documentation directly to projects. No need for separate wiki tools or shared drives—everything lives where the work happens.

Keep It Simple

Documentation doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be helpful. A bulleted list beats no documentation every time.

Start with the basics:

• What is this project?
• Who's involved?
• What's the current status?
• Where can I find X?
• How do I do Y?

Answer these questions, and you've created useful documentation.

Make It Searchable

Documentation that can't be found might as well not exist. Organize information logically and use clear titles.

TaskLemon's project documentation feature makes information easy to find. Everything is attached to the relevant project, searchable, and accessible to authorized team members.

Update It Regularly

Outdated documentation is worse than no documentation—it actively misleads people. Schedule quarterly reviews to update or archive old docs.

Mark each doc with a "Last Updated" date so readers know if information might be stale.

Use Templates

Create templates for common documentation types:

• Project kickoff docs
• Technical design documents
• Meeting notes
• Process checklists
• Troubleshooting guides

Templates make starting faster and ensure you don't forget important sections.

What to Document

High-value documentation:

• Project goals and success criteria
• Key decisions and their reasoning
• Setup and configuration steps
• Common problems and solutions
• Important contacts and resources

Low-value documentation:

• Obvious information anyone could google
• Temporary details that change constantly
• Step-by-step guides for intuitive interfaces
• Comprehensive coverage of features no one uses

Focus your effort where it matters most.

Making It Stick

The best way to ensure documentation happens is making it easy and expected. When someone asks a question in chat, the response should be "Here's the doc" followed by a link.

If the doc doesn't exist, create it, then share the link. Over time, you build a knowledge base naturally.

With TaskLemon's built-in project documentation, you remove the friction of switching tools or finding where docs live. Document where you work, and it becomes part of how work gets done.