How to write an user manual

It is best for technical communicators to write the instructions while performing the actual task that is being explained to ensure that each step matches the process users will undergo Robinson, 5.

It is safe to assume that most people are pressed for time when they refer to these manuals for guidance Hodgson. By Alyssa Gregory 7 Tips for Writing an Effective Instruction Manual In your day-to-day work, you might find that there are times when you need to provide a client with documentation that walks them through a process or teaches them how to do something they may be unfamiliar with.

The first step in writing a good user manual is to get the actual writing process as far away from the engineers as possible. The book title is used for both the left and right footers: By using the active voice, you will make your writing more clear, concise, and direct.

The first body section of this manual is for notices—specifically, trademarks, highlighting conventions used in the book, safety notices, and regulatory communications notices.

Most people open user manuals expecting to find a particular piece of information about the product, whether that be answers to a trouble-shooting inquiry or details about a specific function. You should not just know your audience, you must be able to adapt documentation.

Get monthly digest on technical writing, UX and web design, overviews of useful free resources and much more. Screenshots, diagrams and even videos are a great way to beef up your manual and make it easier to understand. Steps—Instructions sequences are introduced with a gerund-phrased heading in the bold font.

If you would like to become a technical writer, you may want to consider registering for our Professional Technical Writing Course. A style catalog is also an electronic thing that defines the format and style of textual elements such as headings, headers, footers, lists, paragraphs, tables, and so on.

Use active voice Active voice emphasizes the user and is easier to read and understand. The prototype is a dummy version of the book with all planned components of the book see the list on book-design components and all planned elements see the list under format and style.

Headings—First-level headings align to to the far left margin, use a blocky bold sans serif font with a solid ruled line above. This page contains the words "Aptiva Reference Guide" in large serif letter in the upper right of the page—and that's it.

The table of contents should be structured sequentially, in a well-thought-out manner and separated into several sections Millman. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullam corper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Get out of your own head: To make matters worse, it is the most important part of the user manual that is incomprehensible: A solid ruled line is placed just beneath these headers.

Although the basic principles of technical documentation remain the same - you need to explain your subject in the most concise, neutral and structured manner - different groups of readers require a different approach.

Below are some guidelines to help you write clear and concise instructions. Bold page numbers using the same font as the first-level heading but much smaller are on the outside; the current heading, not chapter title, is centered and in a serif italics font using sentence-style caps.

Typically, the volume will be called something like "Introducing New Product Focus on using only as many words as necessary to get your point across. The text of the notice is regular body font indented an inch. If any symbols or icons are used in the instructions, they should be identified at the start of the manual using a legend Millman.

The back cover contains advertising material—rather atypical for user guides—on the product's best features, special offers on the full version, a number to call, and the book number. Center it immediately below the paragraph that first introduces the concept depicted in the image.

The technical writer of this document left sufficient blank space in the margins of each page, so as not to overwhelm the reader with endless amounts of text Gregory. Giving Instructions The body of the user manual should walk users step-by-step through a set of concise instructions; each step should be separated by bullet-points Hodgson.

Reader Findability One of the main problems with ineffective user manuals is that they fail to meet the standards of reader findability. For example, a style for a "heading 1" might specify point Arial bold with 24 picas above and 12 picas below.

You as writer then implement those comments and produce a new draft for these same people to review again. Graphics—Numerous screen captures are used through the book; they are all centered. Do you ever provide clients with written instructions.

User guides also provide some description of the product, a review of its essential features or its new features. These represent liability concerns for the manufacturer of the product.

In most cases, especially in user manuals, you should use active voice. Typically, people take one glance at a product manual then set it aside when it appears to be too lengthy or complicated. Reference information in user guides is often presented in tables: columnar lists of settings, descriptions, variables, parameters, flags, and so on.

Getting-started information. Some user guides will actually include brief tutorials that will help new users get acquainted with using the product. About the product. 7 Tips for Writing an Effective Instruction Manual. In your day-to-day work, you might find that there are times when you need to provide a client with documentation that walks them through a.

How to Write a User Manual for Software by Dan Blacharski - Updated September 26, Often filled with jargon, acronyms, and directions that require a Ph.D to understand, software user manuals are sometimes written from the point of view of a developer rather than a user. They are also called User Manuals.

When writing a User Guide, use simple language with short sentences. This writing style helps the user understand the application. User Guide Templates.

Download the 5 User Guide Templates here. User Guides. Technical writing focuses on user tasks and the concepts that support the tasks. Below are some practical tips on writing user manuals that will help you to write content that adapts to the needs of users.

In short, a documentation plan is a document containing all the necessary information for reference when working on a user manual, such as: general information about the project, tools used, timeframes, workflow details, etc.

How to write an user manual