The free template is a more generic one. When you choose to use the free one, make sure to follow the instructions from step 6. You can download the free template here:. Take the shortest way to a compliant manual.
We have developed user manual templates for machinery, toys, medical devices and electronics that contain all legal content. Before actually using the User Manual Template and the other tools that I developed for Philip, I wanted to make sure we have the same starting point. I provided him with some general information about user instructions and with some good examples of existing user manuals. A user manual is a technical communication document intended to give assistance to people on how to use a product.
A good user manual assists users on how to use a product safely, healthily and effectively. Besides the primary goal of a user manual to assist a user , secondary goals could be creating a better user experience and meeting legal requirements. A user manual consists of textual visual information illustrations, screenshots, tables etc.
The user plays the central role when drawing up a user manual. A well-drafted user manual only provides that information that is relevant for the intended user of the product. The user manual should contain both procedural information step-by-step instructions and conceptual information information the user needs in order to understand procedural information. A good user manual is concise and uses jargon-free language. They should contain information about what happens if a task is not done correctly.
In some cases, a product is intended to be used by different types of users. Typical user types are the end-user, installer, maintenance engineer and operator.
Each user type needs a different approach in terms of language to be used, the tone of voice and provided conceptual information. Different kind of products need a user manual. A product can be a system, tool, device, an instrument, a piece of software or an app. Depending on the type of product, a user manual might include things as:. The main tool that I developed in order to help Philip draw up his user manual is a User Manual Template.
The template contains all the information and more from the list above. It complies with the requirements for his product. The User Manual Template can be used for creating your manual for your system, tool, device, instrument, or for creating an installation manual, software manual, operational manual, maintenance manual or training manual.
Based on the first template for Philip, we have developed templates for the following product groups:. The user manual template is an MS Word document that can be printed or placed online. User manuals can be created using a variety of tools. Each tool has its own advantages and disadvantages. I will mention the most common tools below:.
While drafting a user manual with help of the User Manual Template, it can be handy to have some good examples. Through the following links you can download a user manual sample for documentation:. Ok, so now Philip has some basic knowledge about user manuals. When you want to write a manual that helps your user to solve problems, you first need to define who your user is. This can be done by creating a user profile, also named a persona.
With a persona, you make some reasonable assumptions about the characteristics of your user. This is not only useful for creating your user instructions, but it is an essential element at the start of the development of any product!
As an educated industrial design engineer, this is how we started all our design assignments. You can use the template yourself to determine who your user is. Action: Use the template to describe your user s. I am a HUGE fan of visualizing things.
So if you want to take defining your user one step further, I would suggest you visualise your user in the form of a persona.
When creating a persona you are giving your user a name, age et cetera, so it becomes a real person that represents your user. Typical problems might include: installing the product, using the product, using the product safely, maintaining the product and disposing of the product.
I asked Philip to identify the problems and solutions that his user might encounter during the product lifecycle. In order to do so, I created another template for Philip. Our user manual templates are compliant with this standard. Action: Use this template and the instructions on the first tab to identify the problems your user might have during the lifecycle of your product and present their solutions.
Philip has now identified the problems a user might have with his product during its lifecycle and he has now thought of the solution to solve the problem. In other words: Philip has defined the topics for his user manual. Each topic can only be about one specific subject, has an identifiable purpose, and must be able to stand alone.
A user wants to solve one problem at a time. A topic will become a section in the user manual. It can be a chapter or a sub- paragraph. As soon as a user is looking for an answer to his problem, he will use the table of contents to find out how to navigate to that answer. I asked Philip to structure the topics and define their place in the user manual, by assigning a certain topic to a specific chapter or sub- paragraph.
You have now created the Table of Contents ToC. The ToC is the outline of your user manual. Each topic in the user manual gets its own heading.
The headings are the sub- titles that precede the actual text. They appear in the ToC, so the user can navigate to the needed information. Because the ToC entries play such an important role in helping your user find their way, and to help them skip what is NOT important, they need a bit more attention. Basically, you should try and work with three levels of headings: first-, second- and third-level headings. The first-level heading describes what the entire chapter or section is about e.
A third-level heading uses noun-phrases e. Packaging contents and Tools to be used. Meaningful Headings tab. Dependent on the market where your product is placed in or put into service, and dependent on the product group your product belongs to, specific legislation applies to your product. These requirements also include requirements on the content of your user manual and safety instructions.
In order to sell your product in a specific market, you should make sure that your user manual complies with these requirements. These two articles below will tell you how you can find out exactly which legislation applies to your product for the European and U.
Pro tip: when there is a Declaration of Conformity available already, you can find the applicable directives in there. Philip didn't need to conduct these steps, as the template he used already contained the legal content as required by the relevant directives. For his product, it means that the following information is required for the user manual for his product:.
This standard has been harmonised in the EU. Compliance with harmonised standards provides a presumption of conformity with the corresponding legislation! I have also created an IEC checklist that can be used to double check that your user manual complies with this standard. In order to create an internationally compliant user manual, you should always make sure your manual meets the EU, US and requirements. I asked him to adjust the table of contents of the template according to his own table of contents.
Without removing and mandatory elements of course Do you remember from step 4 that I asked to start the numbering of the sections with chapter 4? Once you download the user manual template doc yourself, you will see that a few standard chapters have been added, as well as some appendices. The purpose of your product, or better: the intended use, is the heart of a user manual and forms the basis of ensuring the safe and healthy use of the product.
The way the intended use is described also determines your liability and affects the further contents of the user manual. The most legislation requires you to include a description of the intended use in the user instructions. The international standard for user instructions, the IEC , provides the following definition for the intended use:. An exhaustive range of functions or foreseen applications defined and designed by the supplier of the product. By describing the intended use you determine the safe envelope of the product.
While technical manuals are great for customers who are looking to resolve their issues as quickly as possible, they are also great for reducing load off of your support staff. In the absence of a clearly-written technical manual, customers are going to flood your customer service reps. No matter the size of your organization, a well-written technical manual can do wonders for your business, helping save time, effort, and money.
A great technical manual helps customers understand the product better, navigate its intricacies, and get familiar with it in less time. Now that you know the importance of creating a technical manual for both your employees and customers, its time to get into the nitty-gritty of actually writing a technical manual. While most technical manuals out there can be boring to read, making them attractive, interactive, and interesting can do wonders for your brand to stand out and make a good impression on your customers.
Follow these simple steps to create an amazing technical manual:. The first and most important step to create a technical manual is to define your audience. The more you know about the end-user, the better you will be able to understand and predict their challenges.
In turn, you will be able to create a technical manual that is helpful and in-line with what the reader expects. Define how the end-user will benefit from reading the technical manual and what will they achieve after doing so.
When your readers know exactly what to expect from the manual, the buy-in goes up significantly. Having the end-result in mind will also help you write the manual better, with your objective as your north-star. Next, you need to gather requirements for your technical manual.
What are the frequently asked questions by customers? Where do most customers face issues or challenges? These are the questions you need to answer before kickstarting your technical manual documentation. A great point to start is to bring together your customer service reps and sales staff under one roof and ask their suggestions and feedback.
Since they are the ones who interact with the customers the most, they have the most in-depth insights into customer wants and needs. You can also conduct an online survey with your existing customers and ask them about their pain points. You can then address these pain points in your manual and improve customer satisfaction substantially. Technical manuals can be lengthy. It helps if you first create a structured outline and follow it religiously. From your requirements gathering phase, list down your main points you are going to cover in the manual and divide them into headings, sub-headings, categories, sub-categories, or topics.
Not only will it be easier for your team to create technical manuals, but it will be easier to browse for the end-user as well. Most technical manuals are filled with plain-boring text and technical jargon no one reads.
This leads to dissatisfied customers. Make your technical manuals interactive by adding images, videos, infographics, and more wherever it makes sense. In order to prepare a well designed and comprehensive technical manual writer must get the necessary information and details on the subject matter. If a person totally unfamiliar with designing of a technical manual at all, here we have a best and handy thing for him in the shape of technical manual template.
It is just like a road map to produce a technical manual at home. Technical Manual Template doc.
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