You could also use a flow chart to provide the user with directions. Think about your product and how each method might be of use when writing your user manual. However, avoid mixing different layouts within a manual. Choose one and stick with it. Part 2. Organize the manual logically. The user manual should proceed in a way that the user will find most beneficial.
Split the manual into chapters or sections that make sense for the product's use, and include a table of contents toward the front of the manual so each section can be found quickly. A table of contents is especially necessary for longer manuals. A glossary or index is needed when there are many terms to explain that your audience may not be familiar with.
However, glossaries are not recommended; the best choice is to explain confusing terms in the text of the manual itself. If you choose to include a glossary, place it in front of the manual, just after the table of contents. A list of tables or figures is only necessary if there are more than a few tables or figures in the manual. An appendix is needed for things that should be explained but cannot be explained at another point in the manual because it would disturb the flow and focus.
Include necessary warnings. The general warnings or cautionary information should provide information about potential threats improper use of the product could incur, including death or serious injury. These warnings should be placed in the very front of the manual after the cover page so that the user sees them first.
Specific warnings should also be included in the text of the user manual just after or just before a potentially hazardous step is suggested. For instance, a general warning for an electric device might be to avoid using it during rain. A specific direction might be to ensure that your hands and the device are both dry before plugging the device in. You could explain the benefits of following the manual instead of working independently. Describe the device. The graphic should properly label and name all the switches, knobs, and attachable parts that the device includes.
Include setup instructions. The setup section should include basic information about how to prepare to use the product or device. If the device cannot be constructed or set up by a home user, state this fact plainly in a bold header at the top of the setup section.
You should also include: A parts list Unpacking instructions Warnings related to setup Results of an improper setup Who to call in case they encounter difficulty in setting up. Provide information about operation. This section is the main portion of the user manual and should provide concrete, detailed information on how to use the device. Begin with basic preparation for using the device, such as plugging it in or washing your hands. Include graphics where necessary. Some steps are best explained with images as well as words.
Think about using photographs or illustrations in your user manual. In this section, as in every section, be sure to include relevant safety warnings about improper use or operation. For instance, you might warn users of a chainsaw not to drink alcohol or use the chainsaw while on certain medications.
If you think users would benefit, consider including links to online videos that demonstrate proper use and operation of the device.
You could include these videos either at the beginning of this section, or in the case of videos that illustrate only one step at the end of each step. Try to keep your instructions as simple as possible. If your manual gets too complicated, you might lose people along the way. Include a product summary at the end. The summary should go at the end of the manual, just before the index, in order to provide basic steps of operation.
This should be a simplified, stripped-down version of the operational information section, and should be no more than one page.
Summarize how to use the device or product. Include basic warnings, numbered step explaining how to use the product, and phone numbers or email addresses that direct users to help.
If you expect the user will remove the summary sheet or need to consult it frequently, you could print it on a removal laminated card, or thick card stock to make it easier for the user to carry with them and reference. Alternatively, include a summary sheet directly on the product so that users can reference it quickly and easily.
Part 3. Explain how to clean the device. If your device or product requires cleaning, explain how to do so. Be sure to enumerate the cleaning supplies needed. Inform the reader of how often they should clean. Then, just as you would in any other section of the user manual, include numbered step-by-step instructions as to how cleaning should proceed. If cleaning requires some disassembly of the product, or removal of a certain part or parts, be sure to include details on how to disassemble.
Include a warning about the results of failing to clean the device will be. Tell the user how to perform basic maintenance. If the product or device can be serviced by the user to correct performance issues, include numbered directions as to how the user can do so. For instance, if the batteries need to be changed after every hours of use, include directions on how to check whether the batteries need to be changed, how to remove the dead batteries, and how to insert the new batteries.
If there are some maintenance tasks that can only be performed by a certified technician, divide the maintenance portion of the manual into two sections. Discuss storage options.
The user manual should, if necessary, explain how to store the product or device properly. You should also include information about why storage is necessary, and what the results of improper storage are. Improper storage could shorten the life of your product due to the buildup of moisture. Doing so may lead to combustion. Include troubleshooting information. You might organize this section as a list of common problems and their solutions. Group similar problems together under a logical heading.
This way, users can find specific problems quickly. Part 4. Read other user manuals. Before writing a manual for your own product, look at other effective user manuals. Pay attention to the structure, word choice, and sentence style. Major brands like Apple, Google, and Microsoft produce strong, effective user manuals that can help you produce a more thoughtfully written user manual. Read the manuals for similar products that you are selling.
For example, if you're selling baby products, read baby manuals, not tech. Select your standards. Standardizing spelling, word choice, and phrasing will make the user manual more user-friendly.
The Chicago Manual of Style and the Microsoft Manual of Style might also be useful style guides when writing your user manual; consult both to see if one will work for your manual. Use active voice.
It is easier to understand than its alternative, passive voice, in which the subject is undefined. Examine these two sentences, the first active and the other passive, for examples of each: You should open the package slowly and carefully. The package should be opened slowly and carefully. Write numbered instructions.
Numerically ordered instructions will help the reader stay more focused on the process of using, connecting, or building the product in question. Instead of writing a long, rambling paragraph, or a series of un-numbered paragraphs, write your user manual with simple, explicit steps, each numbered clearly. Start each step with an imperative. An imperative is an action-oriented verb. By starting each step with a verb, you will clue the reader in to the action required to complete the step. The screen will blink and turn blue.
Use simple words and vocabulary in order to explain how the yo-yo works. In general, try to avoid jargon and technical language. To be effective to the broadest array of users, try to write at a sixth to seventh grade reading level. Ensure your translations are accurate if you are shipping a product overseas. Hire a translator to translate your user manual into the native language of the country that you are shipping your product to.
Alternatively, use an online translating app, but ask a native speaker read over and edit the translation for errors. If there are multiple language groups represented in your audience, include translations of the user manual in each relevant language.
The translator should be familiar with the product, as there may be different words for specific terms in the target language that not are word-for-word translations.
Keep your writing brief. Instead of a few long paragraphs, use many short paragraphs. Look for logical breaks in each section and put useful information into one or two-sentence chunks. The same applies at the sentence level.
This has enabled technical writers to be more imaginative in how they assist users. The list below is used with gratitude from the Dartford computer science department [3]. The quality of user documentation can affect the rate of implementation of the new system.
Examples should include methods such as: help files, online support and printed manuals. I once heard a rumor about Steve Jobs. According to this rumor, he said "if you need to write a manual for your software, you have done something wrong". I think the point of this rumor is to design your software to be as clear as easy as possible to use.
However, good user documentation can make or break the success of your product. The design , presentation, and evaluation of your user documentation is really important part of developing software.
Sadly, it is also an area much-neglected, as software developers might think it is boring. Assess the implications and limitations; make judgments about the ideas, works, solutions or methods in relation to selected criteria. From Computer Science Wiki. System Fundamentals [1]. Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process. Give a sequence of brief answers with no explanation.
Produce a plan, simulation or model.
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