Think about the last time you needed to use a user manual. Perhaps you had to reference your vehicle’s oil type, the recommended tire pressure or locate the air filter. Did you read the manual from beginning to end? The answer is probably, ‘No’. That’s why successful user manuals are designed to provide quick answers in a way that is easy to understand. The most effective user manuals are organized to give users fast access to information.
If your company is in the process of creating a user manual, it's important to put yourself in the shoes of the end user and understand how the product will be used. This requires you to consider a few things: anticipate the end user’s skill level, what are their basic needs from the documentation and the kind of problems that led to referencing the manual.
Manual content must be written in a way that recognizes the problem, offers a solution and suggests methods to achieve the solution. To do this, focus on outlining the steps necessary to accomplish the task at hand.
Here are the five most important components of an effective user manual:
Procedural steps form the main body of the user manual. Most likely, they involve a problem that can’t easily be summarized or explained. Always present the procedure in logical, numbered steps to help the user solve a problem. To aid clarity, you may want to include relevant illustrations or videos, which can help the user visualize the solution.
Technical language and jargon can alienate your target audience and put them off from consulting the user manual. When writing a user manual, imagine that your target audience is a junior high school student and ensure the reading level of the content is appropriate. Visual aids are always great and tables and graphs can help show the relationship between content sections - how they relate, compliment and contrast.
Every industry has its own vocabulary. However, keep in mind that not all users will be familiar with even commonly used terms. A glossary of terms is important not only because it serves as a reference tool, but also gives each term a “home,”. This eliminates the need for the writer to re-state and re-explain definitions, repeatedly.
As a general rule, any manual that has over twelve pages must use a table of contents Entries must be listed in order of presentation with accompanying page numbers.
Notes of caution, warnings, and danger notices help to keep users safe. They also help manufacturers address product-related liability concerns. User manuals must use universal graphic symbols to represent each type of risk to the user.
The content of user manuals can range from half a dozen to hundreds of pages depending on the type of product. As a general rule, the more complex the product, the longer the manual. A user manual, in its simplest form is a set of instructions that are presented in a style and format that enables quick reference. They safeguard the interests of the user and the company and help the product to succeed in the market.