Document purpose, reader, and desired action
Unit ID: AIT-M07-U00 Estimated active time: 15-20 minutes
The main idea
A document is stronger when purpose and reader are clear before drafting.
Three short answers — who reads it, why it exists, what they do next — determine the structure, the length and the tone. Everything else follows.
Why this matters
Without them, the document gets organised around the material you happen to have rather than around the decision the reader has to make.
Safe example
A one-page guide for beginners needs a different structure from a manager update.
Same subject, same facts. One leads with what to do; the other leads with what changed.
Better working habit
Define reader, purpose, and desired action first.
Write them at the top of the file and leave them there while you draft. They are the test for every section you add.
What to watch for
Do not begin with a long draft before knowing the document job.
A long draft is expensive to restructure, and its existing shape will feel like a decision that has already been made.
Mini practice
Write a purpose-reader-action note for a safe document.
Then check each planned section against it. Anything that serves none of the three comes out.
Check yourself
Before moving on, answer:
- Who reads this, and what do they do afterwards?
- Does every section serve the purpose I wrote down?
- Did I start drafting before answering these?