What problem do you see in the following paragraph?
This document explains how to use the Frambus API to create, update, and publish Fwidgets. This document does not explain how to use the Frambus API to delete Fwidgets or cover the history of the Linux operating system.
answer.
The non-scope should only include information that users would reasonably expect the document to cover. No reasonable user would expect the document to cover the history of the Linux operating system.
A good document explicitly specifies its audience. For example:
This document is aimed at the following audiences:
- software engineers
- program managers
Beyond the audience's role, a good audience declaration might also specify any prerequisite knowledge or experience. For example:
This document assumes that you understand matrix multiplication and the fundamentals of backpropagation.
Engineers and scientists are busy people who won't necessarily read all 76 pages of your design document. Imagine that your peers might only read the first paragraph of your document. Therefore, ensure that the start of your document answers your readers' essential questions.
In your career, no matter how creative you are, you will author precious few documents containing truly revolutionary ideas. Most of your work will be evolutionary, building on existing technologies and concepts. Therefore, compare and contrast your ideas with concepts that your audience already understands. For example:
This new app is similar to the Frambus app, except with much better graphics.
Or: