How To Make An Efficient User Manual
Improving User Experience in Manuals. Help users make the most of the instruction manual that comes with a product by taking a user-centric approach to writing it. This will ensure that your writing is engrossing and efficient. The Structure: Uniform vs. Creating your own “user manual” The longer we spend working (whether that be at school, at our jobs, starting our businesses, or on pet projects), the more evident it becomes that we have certain times of day and environments that encourage us to do our best work. User Documentation - Instruction Manuals and Product Guides. Many companies struggle to create comprehensive, user-focused product documentation. We have a track record of supporting leading global Software, MedTech, and Bio/Pharma companies.
How To Write A User Manual
This is not meaning less but I couldn't find forum for this. I am told to write User Guide. Please help me in this, what should go in user guide and what should not..
Thanks a lot.
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How To Make A Manual
Let me assume that you want to write USerGuide for some application.
I think first you should divide your application in different parts. Start with 'Introduction', that would contain the brief of over all application and modules of appliction.
Granulate the modules as much as possible. First only write the headings for each modules and sub modules.
If your headings cover your whole application then you can expalin each sub/module under each heading.
It could be much better than that but for that some generous author has to spend some time on this thread.
'Thanks to Indian media who has over the period of time swiped out intellectual taste from mass Indian population.' - Chetan Parekh
My suggestion -- something that I feel has helped me a lot -- is to use a machine-checkable format, then write scripts to check everything you can. For example, write a script that checks that every menu item is documented, and every dialog box, etc. Make sure the tests run both ways -- i.e., confirm that every documented item is actually in the software. Then run these scripts as part of your application test suites. This way, when the software changes, you'll get an automatic report of where the documentation needs to be fixed.
I've used various XML-based formats for this in recent years (DocBook, homebrew), and I've used TeX in the past. Anything easy to parse is good. I guess even Word is OK if you can write scripts in Visual Basic or something that can examine Word files -- I'm not sure if this is possible or not.
http://www.klariti.com/technical-writing/User-Guides-Tutorial.shtml
You think you know me .. You will never know me .. You know only what I let you know .. You are just a puppet .. --CMG
A good question is never answered. It is not a bolt to be tightened into place but a seed to be planted and to bear more seed toward the hope of greening the landscape of the idea. John Ciardi
What a tragic name :-
-Tim
[Edit: OK, I had a quick look at it..it isn't contain anything terrible, but nothing particularly profound either]
[ July 04, 2005: Message edited by: Tim West ]
Originally posted by Tim West:
What a tragic name :-
In some parts of the world a name like Tim West would sound even more tragic
:roll:
But I sure dont agree with them
You think you know me .. You will never know me .. You know only what I let you know .. You are just a puppet .. --CMG
Pretty often , imho, it's the obvious 'given' entity that we don't even bother explaining which will stump the new user the hardest.
Make it simple, but no simpler. right?
Increasingly, people seem to misinterpret complexity as sophistication, which is baffling - the incomprehensible should cause suspicion rather than admiration. Possibly this trend results from a mistaken belief that using a somewhat mysterious device confers an aura of power on the user. Niklaus Wirth
By using Paperturn, you can easily and automatically convert your existing user manual PDF file into an online user manual.Your online user manual will have the look of a 'real' (physical) user manual, with facing 'flip turn' effect pages, and will benefit from inbuilt qualities designed to strengthen your online presence. Create an online user manual by using the Paperturn flipbook system.
Create an online user manual
When you use Paperturn to convert your existing user manual PDF file, the pages of your new online user manual are positioned facing each other, and are turned using our flip turn effect – giving your reader the feel of a 'real' (physical) user manual – there are no long files for your reader to scroll through, meaning that your manual will be both easy to read and, crucially, to engage with.Reduce your costs for support
As the owner of a Paperturn online manual, you will be able to direct customers with queries to links / relevant portion of your manual – where they can find the answers to their queries, thereby removing the need for you to spend time/money in drafting answers to customer queries.
This is possible because the individual pages of the online user manual are given their own addresses (URLs), as opposed to one complete file with only one address (URL).
Paperturn optimizes the online user manual for being found in Google when users are searching for its content - meaning that your customers are more likely to find the solutions on their own - again, saving you both time and money.
Your online presence is strengthened
How To Make Instruction Manual
The online user manual will form new valuable content that can be added to a range of online platforms (website, Facebook, etc.). Your online user manual will constantly be accessible, when your customers need it.How To Make User Manual
Having an online user manual means that your customers will always have access to the most 'up to date' information available. This is because the online user manual can easily be overwritten / updated without any loss of its existing features and settings. If a mistake is spotted in the online user manual and you have a PDF file with a correction of that mistake, then the original PDF file can simply be overwritten by the new PDF file. The existing features and settings of the online user manual will automatically be sustained.
As online use of your user manual increases – your physical user manual may eventually become obsolete. Both time and money will be saved; it will no longer be necessary to go through the troublesome and cost-intensive steps that are involved in changing a physical user manual, and your printing and distribution costs could be vastly reduced. If a mistake is noticed in the online user manual it is not necessary to re-print and re-distribute new material; the changes are simply made online.
How to create your online user manual
The creation of an online user manual presupposes that you have a PDF file with a user manual. In a few minutes, your existing PDF file will be automatically turned into an online user manualCustomize your user manual here
Online user instructions
A user manual is often comprehensive as it addresses many issues, e.g. requirements, installation, user instructions, disclaimer etc. If it isn't necessary to cover all these topics, and the only thing needed is online user instructions, Paperturn is fully capable of making just that.Create online user instructions
Paperturn can be utilized for creating online user instructions regarding digital as well as physical products. The only prerequisite is that you have an existing PDF file with user instructions.
By using Paperturn, a PDF file with user instructions can be turned into online user instructions. As opposed to traditional user instructions (printed as a catalogue etc), it is possible to integrate a video into the online user instructions. For instance, if there is a video on YouTube that instructs the viewers in using a certain product, this video can be incorporated into online user instructions that deal with the same product. This is easily created in the settings of Paperturn.