Docs that rewire the brain: designing documentation for how people learn
We tend to think of documentation as a way to transfer information. But in reality, it does something much more powerful: it reshapes how people think. Every piece of documentation influences how users build mental models, process complexity, and learn new systems. Drawing on concepts from neuroplasticity and cognitive science, this talk explores how documentation can either support or hinder the brain’s ability to learn. We’ll look at how cognitive load, structure, and sequencing affect understanding and how techniques like progressive disclosure, intentional friction, and error-driven learning can make documentation more effective. This isn’t about writing more clearly. It’s about designing documentation that works with the brain, not against it.
Monika S. is interested in the way people process information and in figuring out what happens when the brain isn't braining the way it should or could. She likes creating and experimenting with content that helps people understand, use, and trust the information they encounter. Her interests include information design, screen readers, accessibility, and the relationship between language and human behaviour. She strongly believes that most problems can be solved with curiosity, practical thinking, and a reliable supply of spaghetti and coffee, although not necessarily in that order.
Gergely has spent two decades working for a major translation company in a plethora of positions. While translating several software products’ UI and documentation, he gradually got to know a good deal about technical writing. He’s now nearing the end of another decade in an official tech comm position at memoQ, a software company creating a translation management system. Recently, he became a member of the Initiative Committee of tekom Hungary (a volunteer position). He is a Budapest-based language nerd, a striving father of two, and an avid bike commuter, occasionally doing volunteer works for the Hungarian Cyclists’ Club. Nowadays he spends time discovering how to make his life easier with GenAI and getting on terms with his neurodivergent traits.