Overview
A reverse-engineered documentation project where I analyzed and rewrote the Authentication and Quickstart sections of the Dribble API documentation, focusing on improving clarity, developer onboarding, and content structure.Objective
The goal was to evaluate how effectively Dribble’s original API documentation helped developers start quickly, and to redesign it with clearer steps, better structure, and modern documentation practices (e.g. using examples, logical grouping, and progressive onboarding).My Role
- Technical Writer (solo project)
- Responsible for research, information architecture, markdown authoring, and front-end doc presentation.
Tools & Stack
- Markdown + MDX - for content formatting
- Mintlify - for documentation and deployment
- Git + VS Code - version control and workflow
Process
-
Analyzed the Original Docs
- Noted unclear navigation
- Observed unclear information across pages
-
Rewrote for Clarity
- Created a Quickstart page guiding new developers faster.
- Broke authentication down into simple steps with sample requests/responses.
-
Improved Structure
- Used consistent headings and spacing (following Stripe’s and OpenAI’s structure).
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Published + Iterated
- Deployed on Mintlify.
- Shared online for feedback from fellow technical writers and developers.
Before vs After (Key Improvements)
| Feature | Original Docs | Rewritten Version |
|---|---|---|
| Quickstart flow | Not available | Single-page linear guide |
| Code examples | Limited | Multi-language with inline responses |
| Tone | Formal & vague | Action-oriented, developer-friendly |
| Navigation | Sparse links | Linked structure (Auth → First Call → Next Steps) |
Outcome
✅ Developers can now authenticate and make their first successful API call in a few minutes.View The Project
- GitHub Repo
- Docs Pages:
Reflection
This project helped me understand:- How to structure docs for progressive onboarding.
- The importance of clear, action-driven instructions in API docs.
- How developer empathy drives documentation design.