The writer of functional documents must make both macro‐ and micro‐level judgments: decisions about the format and layout of the document as well as decisions about the wording of each passage. The four steps in producing a document are: 1) Analysis, 2) Planning, 3) Development, and 4) Evaluation, Testing, and Revision. To demonstrate the application of these four steps, the authors describe the process of developing and revising a brochure to guide library patrons in conducting an author search on an online public access catalog.