All products come with a product manual. But, some of them require a manual on how to use that product manual! This article aims to provide simple steps that could change that perception.
1. Understand the product
Product knowledge is primary to writing a good product manual. Get hands-on with the product and understand it. Play around and experiment with various options. Note down where it was difficult to use and assess key areas of using the product. Identify information sources - research and interview them. When writing a part of the product, it is essential to research that part of the product and be thorough. But an overall knowledge of the product and its features and applications are also essential.
2. Understand the audience
A product manual is intended for the product users. So, understanding the audience is as important as the product itself. Audience analysis is a stepping stone for chunking the manual content. A well- - written manual communicates with its users.
3. Create a design
The manual design should clearly define the sections of the manual - the front matter, the main content and the wrap-up sections. The software to be used is decided based on the type of output required for the product manual. With these decisions, the formats, style sheets, guidelines, and other design elements will be easy to create. This step will identify the skeleton of the manual. The design documents are analyzed, reviewed, and approved before actually writing the manual. A good design will result in a clear SOW, which translates to easy scripting.
4. Collect and organize images
Images are essential elements of a product manual. When using images, care should be taken to:
Use the correct resolution to capture
Give proper captions and numbers
Hyperlink as required
Use callouts where necessary
Explain all its sections and components
5. Write
The next step is the actual writing of the manual. The points to note when writing a manual are proper chunking, easy flow of the content, proper navigation and referencing. An example of the chapter flow may be:
Preface
Overview
Installation
Functions/Processes
Troubleshooting
Use tables, lists, hyperlinks, and images to explain the product features and functions.
6. Add closing chapters
Typical wrap-up sections are appendices, index, references, and so on. You can include product registration and feedback forms also as appropriate. Then, create the table of contents. Check cross-references and hyperlinks. Update them.
7. Review and edit
With the manual in shape, the next step is to review and edit for language, flow and quality. Reviews start with self-review of the written manual. Reviews may also include peer review, technical review, editorial review, and so on.
8. Fix
The purpose of review cycles is to make the manual error-free in terms of content, language, flow, and usage. So, fix the comments from reviewers keeping in mind the reviewer’s perspective. When there is a conflict between two reviewers’ views, take a call based on their role.
9. Test
The manual is now complete. Test it with the product for which it is written and fix bugs, if any.
10. Deliver
Deliver the product manual in the output format required by the client.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
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