diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5286791..744871a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ Asynq is a Go library for queueing tasks and processing them asynchronously with
 
 Highlevel overview of how Asynq works:
 
-- Client puts task on a queue
-- Server pulls task off queues and starts a worker goroutine for each task
+- Client puts tasks on a queue
+- Server pulls tasks off queues and starts a worker goroutine for each task
 - Tasks are processed concurrently by multiple workers
 
 Task queues are used as a mechanism to distribute work across multiple machines.  
@@ -72,19 +72,36 @@ const (
     TypeImageResize     = "image:resize"
 )
 
+type EmailDeliveryPayload struct {
+    UserID     int
+    TemplateID string
+}
+
+type ImageResizePayload struct {
+    SourceURL string
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------
 // Write a function NewXXXTask to create a task.
 // A task consists of a type and a payload.
 //----------------------------------------------
 
-func NewEmailDeliveryTask(userID int, tmplID string) *asynq.Task {
-    payload := map[string]interface{}{"user_id": userID, "template_id": tmplID}
-    return asynq.NewTask(TypeEmailDelivery, payload)
+func NewEmailDeliveryTask(userID int, tmplID string) (*asynq.Task, error) {
+    payload := EmailDeliveryPayload{UserID: userID, TemplateID: templID}
+    bytes, err := json.Marshal(payload)
+    if err != nil {
+        return nil, err
+    }
+    return asynq.NewTask(TypeEmailDelivery, bytes), nil
 }
 
-func NewImageResizeTask(src string) *asynq.Task {
-    payload := map[string]interface{}{"src": src}
-    return asynq.NewTask(TypeImageResize, payload)
+func NewImageResizeTask(src string) (*asynq.Task, error) {
+    payload := ImageResizePayload{SourceURL: src}
+    bytes, err := json.Marshal(payload)
+    if err != nil {
+        return nil, err
+    }
+    return asynq.NewTask(TypeImageResize, bytes), nil
 }
 
 //---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -96,15 +113,11 @@ func NewImageResizeTask(src string) *asynq.Task {
 //---------------------------------------------------------------
 
 func HandleEmailDeliveryTask(ctx context.Context, t *asynq.Task) error {
-    userID, err := t.Payload.GetInt("user_id")
-    if err != nil {
-        return err
+    var p EmailDeliveryPayload
+    if err := json.Unmarshal(t.Payload(), &p); err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("json.Unmarshal failed: %v: %w", err, asynq.SkipRetry)
     }
-    tmplID, err := t.Payload.GetString("template_id")
-    if err != nil {
-        return err
-    }
-    fmt.Printf("Send Email to User: user_id = %d, template_id = %s\n", userID, tmplID)
+    log.Printf("Sending Email to User: user_id = %d, template_id = %s\n", p.UserID, p.TemplateID)
     // Email delivery code ...
     return nil
 }
@@ -115,11 +128,11 @@ type ImageProcessor struct {
 }
 
 func (p *ImageProcessor) ProcessTask(ctx context.Context, t *asynq.Task) error {
-    src, err := t.Payload.GetString("src")
-    if err != nil {
-        return err
+    var p ImageResizePayload
+    if err := json.Unmarshal(t.Payload(), &p); err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("json.Unmarshal failed: %v: %w", err, asynq.SkipRetry)
     }
-    fmt.Printf("Resize image: src = %s\n", src)
+    log.Printf("Resizing image: src = %s\n", p.SourceURL)
     // Image resizing code ...
     return nil
 }
@@ -155,10 +168,13 @@ func main() {
     //            Use (*Client).Enqueue method.
     // ------------------------------------------------------
 
-    t := tasks.NewEmailDeliveryTask(42, "some:template:id")
+    t, err := tasks.NewEmailDeliveryTask(42, "some:template:id")
+    if err != nil {
+        log.Fatalf("could not create task: %v", err)
+    }
     res, err := c.Enqueue(t)
     if err != nil {
-        log.Fatal("could not enqueue task: %v", err)
+        log.Fatalf("could not enqueue task: %v", err)
     }
     fmt.Printf("Enqueued Result: %+v\n", res)
 
@@ -168,10 +184,9 @@ func main() {
     //            Use ProcessIn or ProcessAt option.
     // ------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    t = tasks.NewEmailDeliveryTask(42, "other:template:id")
     res, err = c.Enqueue(t, asynq.ProcessIn(24*time.Hour))
     if err != nil {
-        log.Fatal("could not schedule task: %v", err)
+        log.Fatalf("could not schedule task: %v", err)
     }
     fmt.Printf("Enqueued Result: %+v\n", res)
 
@@ -183,19 +198,21 @@ func main() {
 
     c.SetDefaultOptions(tasks.TypeImageResize, asynq.MaxRetry(10), asynq.Timeout(3*time.Minute))
 
-    t = tasks.NewImageResizeTask("some/blobstore/path")
+    t, err = tasks.NewImageResizeTask("https://example.com/myassets/image.jpg")
+    if err != nil {
+        log.Fatalf("could not create task: %v", err)
+    }
     res, err = c.Enqueue(t)
     if err != nil {
-        log.Fatal("could not enqueue task: %v", err)
+        log.Fatalf("could not enqueue task: %v", err)
     }
     fmt.Printf("Enqueued Result: %+v\n", res)
 
     // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Example 4: Pass options to tune task processing behavior at enqueue time.
-    //            Options passed at enqueue time override default ones, if any.
+    //            Options passed at enqueue time override default ones.
     // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    t = tasks.NewImageResizeTask("some/blobstore/path")
     res, err = c.Enqueue(t, asynq.Queue("critical"), asynq.Timeout(30*time.Second))
     if err != nil {
         log.Fatal("could not enqueue task: %v", err)
diff --git a/doc.go b/doc.go
index edd3865..06ede25 100644
--- a/doc.go
+++ b/doc.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ specify the connection using one of RedisConnOpt types.
     redisConnOpt = asynq.RedisClientOpt{
         Addr:     "127.0.0.1:6379",
         Password: "xxxxx",
-        DB:       3,
+        DB:       2,
     }
 
 The Client is used to enqueue a task.
@@ -20,12 +20,16 @@ The Client is used to enqueue a task.
     client := asynq.NewClient(redisConnOpt)
 
     // Task is created with two parameters: its type and payload.
-    t := asynq.NewTask(
-        "send_email",
-        map[string]interface{}{"user_id": 42})
+    // Payload data is simply an array of bytes. It can be encoded in JSON, Protocol Buffer, Gob, etc.
+    b, err := json.Marshal(ExamplePayload{UserID: 42})
+    if err != nil {
+        log.Fatal(err)
+    }
+
+    task := asynq.NewTask("example", b)
 
     // Enqueue the task to be processed immediately.
-    res, err := client.Enqueue(t)
+    res, err := client.Enqueue(task)
 
     // Schedule the task to be processed after one minute.
     res, err = client.Enqueue(t, asynq.ProcessIn(1*time.Minute))
@@ -52,10 +56,13 @@ Example of a type that implements the Handler interface.
 
     func (h *TaskHandler) ProcessTask(ctx context.Context, task *asynq.Task) error {
         switch task.Type {
-        case "send_email":
-            id, err := task.Payload.GetInt("user_id")
-            // send email
-        //...
+        case "example":
+            var data ExamplePayload
+            if err := json.Unmarshal(task.Payload(), &data); err != nil {
+                return err
+            }
+            // perform task with the data
+
         default:
             return fmt.Errorf("unexpected task type %q", task.Type)
         }