Put_user manual

Defining your audience is one of the most important parts of writing a user manual. You have to think to yourself: What problems do they want to solve? This question plays a big role in what you need to cover, and how in-depth you want it to be. This way, newcomers have a way to learn, and regular users have a reliable source to look back to in case they need it.

The two biggest types of products here are physical and digital. This difference between these two affects how you go about making your user manual. Do you need to take your own pictures using a camera and import them onto your computer, or do you need to take screenshots of your screen to show a digital process? For this post, we will focus on the latter, and use Snagit to capture our screenshots.

Now, this is the long bit — the process of taking screenshot after screenshot to make sure you can thoroughly explain your product. Images in user manuals may include illustrations, photos, screenshots, tables, diagrams and schematics. I advised Philip not to use photos as a cheap alternative for illustrations. Often, photos are not as informative because they contain too much information. Besides that, photos can make a user manual look messy. Before we start making it look nice and translate the content, we want to be sure that the content is complete.

You can adjust the User Manual Template in MS Word by adding a company logo and adjust the font, colours et cetera, but that might have limitations. When you know how to work with Adobe Indesign, or are willing to learn to work with it, this will offer you much greater design possibilities. Action: Adjust the User Manual Template to fit your brand identity, or download the InDesign user manual template and adjust it. Philip now has both the content of his user manual Word file and the user manual template InDesign file.

The content needs to be put into the InDesign template. This is called Desktop Publishing. Action: place the content from your Word file into the Indesign template.

If you decided not to use the InDesign template but stuck to the Word file, then you can skip this step. Depending on the market in which you are going to sell your product, you might need to translate the user manual. In general, a user manual should be available in a format that is easily accessible to the user. That can be printed, or used online or on-device.

In the European Union, for some product groups, it is still restricted to provide the user manual printed with the product. However, as of April , the instructions of many product groups may be delivered in a different format rather than in print. There is one exception, however. Safety information shall still be delivered in paper form along with the product. Besides that, upon request from a consumer, a paper user manual should be made available to the consumer.

The best part of all this is that you can get the same results as Philip did by following this step-by-step process on how to create a user manual. And he did this without any knowledge of technical writing. The results are as follows: A manual that enables 1st run of product to ship on time with no delays and passing customs without any problems. I have listed this information below. What is the definition of a user manual? Other names, or other forms of a user manual, might be: User guide Technical documentation Instruction manual Operational manual Training manual Quick Start Guide Installation manual Maintenance manual Software manual Besides the primary goal of a user manual to assist a user , secondary goals could be creating a better user experience and meeting legal requirements.

What information should be in a user manual? Based on the first template for Philip, we have developed templates for the following product groups: Medical Devices Toys Machinery Electronics What formats does a user manual have? Through the following links you can download a user manual sample for documentation: IKEA installation instructions Jura user manual Step 2 Identify the User s of Your User Manual Template Ok, so now Philip has some basic knowledge about user manuals.

Is the product used professionally or mainly privately? What other technical experiences do they have? What describes the user? I have created a template that contains the questions. I asked Philip to fill out the template.

I did this for Philip. If the problem is too complex, you could break it down into chunks. Action: To define the structure of your user manual: Copy the content from the Lifecycle [product name] tab to the ToC [product name] tab. On the ToC [product name] tab , replace product name with your own product name.

Add a column to the left. If applicable, organize your sections logically. Determine what topics will become chapters by adding chapter numbers. We will add some more chapters in the next step. Determine what topics will become paragraphs by adding the section numbers. Determine what topics will become sub-paragraphs by adding the subsection numbers. Step 5 Create Meaningful Headings Each topic in the user manual gets its own heading. So, Philip has just created the sub- titles for his topics.

I asked Philip to redirect his headings and to take notice of the following general guidelines: Use the structure as shown above for the first, second and third level heading. Make sure the headings are self-explanatory.

Make sure that the heading covers the full topic. If the section covers the maintenance and repair of a product, the heading Maintenance would be incomplete. If possible, try to omit articles at the beginning of headings Action: Write new headings for your ToC entries. Step 6 Determine the Legal Content Dependent on the market where your product is placed in or put into service, and dependent on the product group your product belongs to, specific legislation applies to your product.

How to Create Compliant Manuals for the EU How to Create Compliant Manuals for the US Philip didn't need to conduct these steps, as the template he used already contained the legal content as required by the relevant directives. The user manual should describe the intended use of the product.

The user manual should describe the reasonably foreseen unintended use of the product. If applicable, non-compliance in residential areas should be mentioned. If the product is too small this can be placed in the user manual. The name, registered trade name or registered trademark and the postal address should be mentioned on the product.

A risk analysis should be conducted to determine the residual risks related to the use of the product. Safety information shall be provided in order to inform the user of measures to be taken. WEEE information shall be included Information on packaging waste shall be included.

The user manual template complies with this standard. Study the IEC checklist to ensure your manual complies with the standard. Action: To adjust the user manual template: If you want to work with the free template: Download the free user manual template Word or Change the section headings according to your own ToC.

Do not adjust the Table of Contents. The table of contents can be updated automatically once you have adjusted the section headings. What would your user experience be when a 40 page instruction manual has its first actual instruction on page 32, after more than 30 pages of warnings and process descriptions?

No matter how well and safely designed a product is, using a product often comes with certain risks. Risks can be identified by conducting a risk analysis. It is generally agreed in international standards that there are three ways to reduce those risks:. You can adjust the design of your product, equip the product or user with safety measures such as safeguards, personal protective equipment or provide safety instructions.

These three risk reducing measures should be considered in this specific order. So a user guide should never be used to warn for risks when the design can still be improved. For the user manual this means that there can be distinguished four types of safety instructions: supplemental directives, grouped safety messages, section safety messages and embedded safety messages see this post for more information about these.

Considering the number of warnings, the use of this electric toothbrush seems just as dangerous as working on a nuclear power plant. I am not saying not to use any warnings at all, but it definitely is possible to reduce the number of warnings drastically in many cases. When you do decide to provide a warning instead of an instruction, make sure to structure the warning well.

Nowadays, the meanings of signal words are similar in several available standards describing risk levels. Signal word used to indicate an imminently hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in. Indicates a hazardous situation that, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.

Signal word used to indicate a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in. Indicates a hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in minor or moderate injury. Depending on the product you are writing for, chances are there are legal requirements on the content, presentation and format of your user guides.

These can come from federal laws in the US, directives or regulations in the EU or similar legislation in other countries or states. Standards can be used, if not made mandatory, in order to comply with the CE requirements.

For example, medical devices are the most heavily regulated products. By complying with the legal requirements and applying standards, you create a user guide that is legally compliant. This will help you to avoid any legal pitfalls, will let your product pass tests and customs, decrease your liability, provide competitive advantage and make sure your users can use the product more safely. Generally speaking, the following process should be followed to create compliant user manuals:.

I have written about this process in more detail for both the American market and the European market. Also, these templates might help you create CE-compliant user manual template for machinery , user manuals for electronic devices and toys, or the instructions for use for medical devices. Also for the US, we offer templates for machinery and medical devices. How to use the Operator Manual Template for to create a machinery manual:.

An essential part of a clear user manual is the way your user can navigate to the information they are looking for. Much of this has been discussed already in the previous chapter.

But there is more than adding a table of contents, page numbering, clear headings and a logical structure.

Instead of ordering your topics according to the life cycle of a product from unpacking to disposal , you might want to divide your section ordered by chronology of use, expertise level beginner or expert , functional category or frequency of use. You can code your hierarchy with tabs or colours or emphasise the importance of certain information types with contrast, colour, shading and embolding, which is actually part of how you present your instruction manual see Chapter 4.

Another way of guiding your user to the right information is by including an index or glossary. An index is an alphabetical list of names, key words, product elements, life cycle stages etc. A glossary is an alphabetical list of words relating to the specific subject you are writing about, with explanations. So it is actually a brief dictionary. Example of a glossary. Once you have used all these tips and examples to write the content of your manual, it is time for reviewing your work.

You have now created the draft version of your instruction manual. Internally, we name this version the textual content design we could put this one in the glossary, lol. Ask all persons with in-depth technical product knowledge that contributed to delivering information, to review the work so far. I prefer to work with a technical authoring tool for the review process or simply via Google Doc.

Visuals include all kinds of graphical representations, such as line drawings, photos, screenshots, video, symbols, tables, charts, graphics and infographics. You can use line illustrations to support, replace or augment text and to present a chronological sequence of a process or steps to be followed.

Make sure that the sequence of illustrations that you place in your user guide is logical and comprehensible. When you place illustrations as close as possible to the text to which they relate, it is clear to which textual instruction they belong.

Ensure that related text and illustrations are viewable at the same time and that they support each other in order to enhance comprehensibility. Compared to photos, you have much more freedom with illustrations to focus on important details. You can easily leave out less relevant information or enlarge certain parts. Keep in mind that creating comprehensible illustrations requires skills.

Although there are many tools available that can support you, having them created by a competent graphic artist or technical illustrator might be a wise decision.

When creating illustrations, keep printing quality or screen resolution in mind. Illustrations used on screens require a resolution of 72 dpi and, for print, resolutions of minimum dpi are preferable. Add numbered captions to your illustrations so it is clear to the user what the illustration is about and so the illustration is easy to identify when referred to in the text.

Illustrations can also be used to identify product parts and main functions, represent a schematic version of your product or for example the electric scheme.

Sometimes photos are used instead of illustrations. However, I really prefer the use of line illustrations as these are often much clearer. When creating illustrations, you can leave out irrelevant information or easily emphasise important information.

With photos this will be more complicated. Screenshots can be used to visually represent the user interface of a control panel, software on a desktop computer or an app. Screenshots can give an overview of functionalities or be used to show what needs to be done or to present the result of a certain action. You can use tables to organise numeric or verbal data. For example, technical data are more legible when presented in a table.

In many cases, a table can fully replace text. Make sure to set out tables clearly, informatively, and in a consistent design. Position tables next to the relevant text. As an exception, reference tables such as a spare part list can be placed in annexes. The use of video could be your choice when you clearly want to demonstrate something, show movement, a state or force. Also, as video is increasingly popular, you might want to use it when reaching as many people as possible is your goal.

Video can be realistic filmed with a camera , a 3D animation or an illustrated animation, as long as you keep in mind that videos should be short and relevant. When using video, synchronised spoken or written text, or both, can be used to accompany the sequences. Another increasingly important form of animation, is interactive animation. Interactive animation can be best described as a sequence of visual and auditory elements. It can best be used to explain complex processes, such as a sequence of installation instructions.

When done correctly according to minimalism principles , video and interactive animation often is more effective than any other form of instructions. According to research, viewers remember information for a longer period making it more effective and viewers learn quicker making it more efficient.

Keep in mind that, as video might require a stable internet connection, it is less suitable in areas with bad reception. Have a look at this incredibly funny video of Virgin America in which they present their safety instructions.

You can use infographics, graphics, charts and diagrams to show patterns, organise and visually present data, show relationships, create overviews etc. Symbols, icons and safety signs are often used in instruction manuals. They are characterised by having a predefined and clearly identifiable meaning and are used to transmit information.

If a graphical concept is represented by a graphical symbol registered in a standard, it is highly recommended to use this symbol. Examples of clear icons according to ISO Icons can be used to represent objects or functions.

Make sure you use them uniquely and consistently for just one purpose. Never use different icons for the same object or function.

For more directions on when to use text or visuals, see this post. Luckily, more and more companies see the importance of both an attractive design and the use of several media to bring the information to the reader. There are many ways to communicate the use of a product with its user.

You can determine the media of the information based on the needs of the target audiences. Make sure that the media provide easy access to the information throughout the intended lifetime of the product. Therefore, always keep in mind the lifetime of the product and even consider mentioning it in the instruction manual. Some examples of possible media for user instructions are text, visuals photographs, safety signs, graphical symbols and illustrations , video including auxiliary means such as audio and subtitles , animations, speech, braille, augmented reality, virtual reality, leaflets or stapled booklets with text, illustrations and printed information on the packaging or on the product itself.

Although regulations slowly become less strict, always inform yourself about any legal requirements on the publication form in the country where you are selling your product. See this article about online publication as well. Available technical authoring tools can help you to create both online and print user instructions, using the same single sourced content.

Single sourcing with MadCap Flare. Regardless of the chosen medium, it is also important to format the information for both the media and the target audience.

Use a clean, readable sans-serif font. Ensure that the font size fits the needs of the audience. Avoid using multiple font styles. Use bold, italic or courier typeface for terminology, reference information or input. Information that is printed onto. When information is only given on the packaging or in materials accompanying the product, make sure it is in a durable form.

It should survive frequent use during the lifetime of the product and in an environment where the product is intended to be used.

Part of how you present your user guides has to do with the language. It is generally agreed, and in most cases mandatory, to provide the instructions in the language of the country where the product is being sold.

For easy of distribution, these instructions are provided in 24 languages. I have now developed the content in chapter 2 texts and 3 visuals and the form in chapter 4, so it is time to finalise the user guide. The first thing you want to do is to proofread your instruction manual. Proofreading is the process of examining your written user instructions for errors.

It can be difficult to proofread your own work and see the errors you made. If you're reading through your own work, your mind will read it like how it should have been written. Once the proofreading has been done, you have a good starting point for the translations. Also, it is generally agreed that an English instruction manual is the best starting point for translations. Secondly, as English is the most spoken second language in the world, translating from English into another language is cheaper.

It is easier to find someone to translate from English into Dutch, than from Dutch into English. When finding someone to translate your instruction manual, try to look for a translator with similar translation experience.

This might be a translator who is experienced in translating technical content, translating similar products, or in translating user guides. When translating into multiple languages, working with a translation agency might save you lots of time, as they can take over the often complex project management.

You might consider asking the translator or agency about their quality procedures and who is going to revise the text after translation. According to the standard, translators should have basic competencies as stated in proficiency level 1, should be as fluent in the original language as in the target language, should be native speakers in the target language and should be familiar with the type of product and any product-specific terminology.

As you know who your audience is and how your product works, you can increase the quality of your translations by providing the translator or agency a glossary or a list with the terminology that you want to use.

The tool that you use to create your final instruction manual largely determines how the output, DTP and translation process is organised. These tools have reuse of content as a starting point. By clearly separating content from form, the output process is automated, whereas with InDesign you will need several DTP hours. Also, most CMS or CCMS tools intended for technical authoring, allow you to create both online and print output using the same content.

Once you have finished and published your instructions, or maybe one step earlier, a usability test helps you to check if your users understand what you have assumed and written. Make sure to use naive and actual users that represent your audience and do not use designers or product experts. Watch the participants of the user research closely when they are using the user manual to get something done.

Examine where they zip through it. Note where they get confused, completely lost or fail when performing a task. You can also record and analyse the research. Listen closely to what the users have to say and use all this information to then adjust your instruction manual accordingly. To create a great first impression, you might have decided to make purposeful and effective use of colour or contrast. Colour-coding also helps to aid navigation,. When using colour or contrast, make sure you consider the needs of disabled users, such as users with low vision or who are colour-blind.

Test your use of colours during the usability research, to ensure they can be read by colour-blind users. Consider providing alternative instruction manuals in Braille, large print, audio etc. Well, there is a lot to say about how to write a user manual. And I have only covered the most important topics! I hope that with this summary, I have given some useful input based on my ideas of writing good user guides.

By following the tips from this article and looking at the provided examples, I hope you have a better understanding of creating better information for use. So, what's next? This case study including a free user manual template contains tons of additional information.

If you find that this post is helpful to you, I would appreciate it if you could leave a comment below. Or how to write a user manual like this quick start guide for LIDL? Like this user manual for Gazelle? Like these user guides and online help? And finally, how to create an instruction manual , like this one: Then read on. Watch this video to see if you can publish your user manual online. Serve information needs by gaining knowledge about your user The first thing you may want to do on your way to provide users with the right content is to get to know both the subject and user better.

Ask yourself questions like: What describes the user? What is their age, gender etc.? What tasks do they need to perform? 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.