Crowding your documentation with complicated illustrations, and dense blocks of text will give the sense that the user guide is too complex and inaccessible. Both the content and the design should adhere to this idea. Simplicity is the name of the game when writing a user manual. Striking a balance where you are not writing as if your users are children (unless of course, they are!) but you are giving them the extra support that they need to fully understand how to use the product, in simple language, is the sweet spot for writing a user manual. Using acronyms, buzzwords, or slang used around the office will leave your customers feeling confused, frustrated, and ill-equipped. Don’t make assumptions about what your end user might know or be familiar with. These language choices make your user guides difficult to use and they certainly don’t foster an excellent customer service experience.Īn important part of writing effective user manuals is making sure you are writing for the user, not the developer. Plain languageĪside from not providing a user manual, nothing will make your customers more frustrated than finding theirs full of jargon and inaccessible language. What are the essential elements of great user manuals?Įven though each product is unique and will require different elements to create truly great user docs, there are some end user documentation best practices to follow no matter what. If the product you sell could pose a danger to users (think space heaters, power tools, etc…) having warnings and safety precautions documented and available to users by way of a user guide is an effective (though not foolproof) way to avoid legal trouble associated with injures or other damage caused by misuse. This can go a long way in reducing any liabilities associated with creating something for the public. Writing and distributing user manuals is one way to help illustrate that you have done your due diligence in testing your product and how best to interact with it safely. The ultimate guide to simplified user interfaceĪn introduction to simplifed user interface graphics: what they When your employees are empowered with effective user guides they don’t have to waste time searching for answers independently or taking up their colleagues’ and supervisors’ time with questions – because they have access to the answers right in their user manual! When user guides are accessible to your customers they will not suffer the frustration of time wasted searching for details about how to use a product – because they have direct and immediate access to the details within the user guide. User guides help save time for your customers as well as your employees – from entry-level to management. User manuals are an excellent supplement to your customer service experience for the end user but they are also beneficial for the business owner as a part of the customer support system as well.īy providing easy access to a searchable user guide for your customers you increase their ability to access solutions in the moment and reduce the necessity to reach out for specific support from a technician or representative. □ Also read: Simplified user interface 2. User manuals that outline how to care for and maintain a piece of equipment or machinery at various points in its life are referred to as service manuals. This type of user manual provides a set of instructions related to the completion of a specific task, project or job. Instruction ManualĪn instruction manual is a type of user guide that provides basic instructions for how to use a product in its intended way. Let’s take a look at some of the options you have to choose from. User manuals can be created for many topics and purposes. What are the different types of user manual? They are not meant to be read from cover to cover, but as reference books, so a table of contents should always be included in a user manual.Ī quickstart or startup guide should be included in your user guide so that people can easily feel comfortable beginning to use the product. Use manuals contain detailed, step-by-step instructions for the end user and also allow for some support in troubleshooting. They can be provided in either print or digital format or both! A user manual is designed for an end user to use your product or service properly or to find solutions to problems that arise through use. You may hear terms like instruction manual, user guide, maintenance manual, or technical documentation but they all mean the same thing.
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