See examples of user guides. Style and Format for User Guides. A user guide is a combination of many things presented in this online textbook. At its core is instruction writing; you need to be good at the writing style, headings, lists, notices, highlighting, tables, graphics commonly used in instructions. GUIDANCE FOR THE PREPARATION OF TECHNICAL MANUALS 1. This guidance has been developed to provide instruction on the mechanics of preparing manuscripts for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 5-800 series technical manuals. The guidance reflects the. Efficiently manage multiple manuals, versions and languages. Manage multiple manuals. Use one Manula account to create and update multiple manuals, each with their own logos and colors. Keep track of multiple versions. Manuals for different product versions can share most of the topics. Just copy and modify the topics that need updating. We have developed a user manual template for machinery, toys, medical devices and electronics that contain all legal content. Electronic compatibility, and RoHS). Write them down on a piece of paper or in an electronic format. Draw up the user manual (and other technical documentation) according to the EU requirements. It sounds like what you are writing is technical documentation, since you mention a user manual. InDesign's strength is layouts. For technical writing, you generally need better capabilities with your content than just appearance. You might need different formats, the ability to extract data from it, the ability to re-use content, etc. The User Manual Manual How to Research, Write, Test, Edit and Produce a Software Manual. Also available in the UnTechnical Press Books for Writers Series UnTechnical Writing. Electronic data processing-Authorship. Computers-Handbooks, manuals, etc. Technical writing.
What is a User Guide? A User Guide explains how to use a software application in language that a non-technical person can understand. In general, user guides are part of the documentation suite that comes with an application for example, Data Sheets, Release Notes,Installation Guides andSystem Administration Guides.
Technical Writers will often create a Documentation Plan before writing their user guide. This defines the scope, size, delivery format and resources required to produce the actual user guide.
As the name implies, User Guides are written to help people understand an software application or IT system. 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.
Our User Guide templates can be used to create user guides, user manuals, getting started guides and other types of technical documents. A User Guide is an online or printed book that describes how to use a software application.
User Guides are the first port of call when something needs to be read. As many people read user guides when frustrated and after having lost patience with the software, you need to write your material to address their concerns quickly.
User Guides are often written for non-technical individuals. The level of content and terminology differs considerably from, for example, a System Administration Guide, which is more detailed and complex.
This rest of article offers some guidelines to consider when writing your User Guide, such as:
- Identifying your audience
- Writing sections
- Defining style guide and standards
How To Write A Manual
- Delivery formats
Identifying Your Audience
As with all types of writing, the first step is to define your TARGET AUDIENCE. Your target audience are the people who will user your document. As different readers have different requirements, you need to consider their specific requirements. Use this template to learn more about the target audience for your projects and what they want to achieve, for example, read your user guide, visit your website or buy your product.
The worksheets include 130 points you can use to capture demographic date so that you have a more holistic view of their wishes, desires, fears, and preferences.- Identify the target audience
- Identify their level of technical knowledge
- Identify how they will use the guide
Audience Definitions
In the planning process, develop an audience definition that identifies:
- The user
- The system
- The tasks
Software is used to do specific things. Users want to know what the software can do for them, for example, how to print a page in landscape.
They are generally not interested in the nitty-gritty technical details; they want to click a button and get a result. The User Guide is to teach them how the software helps them to do something.
Depending on the guide in question, you may need to address several audiences. For example:
- Programmers who will troubleshoot the program
- IT Managers who want to know the resources the program requires
- Project Managers who want to confirm that the original requirements were met.
If you are writing for more than one audience, develop an audience definition for each one. Examine the definitions and see if you can address all audience types with one document. In many situations, you may need to write a number of documents, of which the users guide is only one.
- When planning, use the audience definition to focus your decisions.
- When writing, the audience definition serves as a guide for the documentation team and as a benchmark for evaluating the results.
Here are some questions that will help define your audience's needs:
- Where will they use the document, for example, in the office, at home, in their car?
- How much experience have they of using your application?
- Is this guide an upgrade to an existing application?
- Is your application new? If so, you may want to include a Getting Started document to introduce the software.
- How will they use the user guide?
- Will they install the software by themselves or do so over the internet?
- What level of detail is required?
- Will graphics help their understanding of how to use your product?
Writing the User Guide
Each user guide is comprised of front page, body sections, and a back page. The following section describes what each of these needs to contain.
Front Page (cover pages)
Include a cover page, table of contents, and a preface, if necessary.
Cover and Title Page
If the user guide is copyrighted, include a copyright notice.
Copyright © 2020 The Name Of Your Company.
Place the copyright notice on the cover (and also the title page).
Disclaimer
Include a standard disclaimer inside the front cover that outlines the Terms and Conditions for using this guide.
Preface
Use this section to reference other documents related to the software. Make sure you refer to the correct release number for all software and documents that you refer to. If necessary, include a section on 'How to use this guide' as an introduction.
Contents
You must include a table of contents. the only exception is if your guide is less than ten pages, in which case you should probably refer to it as a Getting Started guide or Reference Guide.
If this user guide is more than twenty pages, include an index at the end of the document.
Body of the guide
This is the heart of the guide. In the main body, separate the procedures (also called instructions) from reference materials. This will help the user navigate their way through the guide much faster.
Procedures
Procedures help the user perform specific tasks. They are also known as instructions or tasks. Examples of these may include:
- When, why, and how you can perform a task, for example, printing a document, cropping an image, uploading a file.
- What the screen will show after you perform a task, for example, an updated view of your bank balance.
- Examples of tasks and program operation.
Writing procedures
Writing procedures involves the following tasks:
- Identifying the major tasks
- Separating each major task into subtasks
- Writing a series of steps that walk the user through each subtask
- Using an 'if-then' approach when explaining decisions that users can make.
Chunking text
Breaking large pieces of information into smaller piece of information is called 'chunking.'
When writing user guides, you can separate information by menu options and their respective consequences, for example, showing the user the results of each action.
Subtasks that need to be performed can be divided into chunks. Each chunk can form a new chapter or section within the guide.
Use a consistent format for each section, for instance:
- Introduce each section with an overview of the task to be performed
- Describe the inputs and outputs. In other words, what the user must enter into the system and what the system will do as a result.
- Describe the procedures for accomplishing these tasks.
Number your steps
When writing procedures, number each step and use the imperative form of verbs, for example:
Press ENTER
or
Click 'Yes' and press ENTER to submit your details.
Using the If-Then Approach
When users are allowed to make decisions, use an If-Then approach to show the different result for each decision they make.
If you choose 'Yes,' the program will make Firefox your default web browser. If you choose 'No,' it will set Opera as your default browser.
Use diagrams to illustrate more complicated procedures.
Reference Materials
User turn to reference material when they need detailed information on a specific topic, for example, settings or parameters they must enter.
Reference materials can include:
- Program options, for example, different menus and buttons that are presented to the user
- Keyboard options, for example, hold AltGr and 4 to show the Euro symbol
- Error messages that may arise when you use the application
- Troubleshooting tips to resolve these issues
- Frequently asked questions that the user may have about the software
Back Matter
Add a Glossary of Terms and an Index towards the end of the document.
Glossary
The glossary should cover all acronyms and industry terms used in the document. Help the user understand your material. Do not alienate them by using jargon and assuming that they know the meaning on these words.
- A short glossary can appear at the front before the table of contents
- A larger glossary should appear in the back matter.
Highlight glossary terms (by italics, for instance) the first time they appear in text.
Index
Any guide longer than 20 pages benefits from an index. An index helps users locate specific items very fast without having to search through the entire document manually. Large documents without an index are impossible to use efficiently.
Establishing Standards
As well as writing the guide, you also need to consider how the document will be delivered, for example, as a book, online or a PDF.
Areas that need consideration include:
- Format (the design and layout of the pages)
- Style (elements affecting readability, such as font, size, color)
- Other requirements that are specific to each delivery format. For example, PDFs may need security settings applied so material cannot be copied; partner logos may need to be added; terms and conditions may need to be updated.
Document Format and Structure
If you are writing a user guide for a client, rather then your own company, check if they use a specific style guide or have a preference for how the document should be presented. Check this with the client during the planning phase.
Use a document map to organize the guide. To do this:
- Use headings for organizing information.
- Include page numbers and section titles on every page, either in footers or headers.
- Consider using dual columns. This lets you put headings in the left-hand column and the text in the right-hand column.
Style
Use an appropriate style. Decide on the technical level of your language, how you address the user, and conventions that are required.
Technical Language
Match the level of technical language with the audience ¯s level of proficiency. Always underestimate the knowledge of your readers rather than overestimate it.
Limit technical terms to those the user will encounter. If you must define a large number of terms, use a glossary to supplement definitions in the text.
Addressing the User
When writing procedures, use the active voice (e.g. Click this) and address users directly (write 'you' rather than 'the user').
When explaining an action, use the 'command' form of the verb:
'Choose an option from the menu and press [ENTER].'
Presenting your material
You can improve the readability of your documents by using specific formats to distinguish different types of information.
For example, you can distinguish the user's input from the system's response by:
- Indenting text
- Using columns to layout text
- Providing illustrations or photographs that highlight key areas
- Using different fonts and type features (bold, italics and underline)
Nonverbal devices, such as icons or diagrams, help supplement verbal instructions.
Special Requirements
If the guide is to be used outdoors, in a car, or on the move, make sure the font size is large enough to read easily.
Use spiral biding so the book does not to break easily, and high-quality paper so the text does not smudge or leave stains on the reader's hands. Apple iphone 10 user manual. L&t rpm 14 user manual.
PS - Download the User Guide Templates hereA few years ago I read an article by Adam Bryant, the “Corner Office” Columnist for the New York Times, that led with this provocative question: “What if you had to write a ‘User Manual’ about your leadership style?”
Bryant describes how transparency about our work style – our preferences, values, quirks and all – shortens the learning curve for others by making explicit things that might otherwise take months, or even years, to uncover.
I was intrigued by the piece and took his prompt to heart. I devoured others’ manuals for insights that resonated, and took a clear-eyed look at what makes me tick.
I sat with questions like: Which activities give me energy, and which deplete me? What are my unique abilities, and how do I maximize the time I spend expressing them? What do people misunderstand about me, and why?
What emerged is my personal “User Manual” which has been an important communication tool for my team, and a learning process for me.
Beyond giving my colleagues a window into my wiring (and, as fellow entrepreneur Aaron Hurst endearingly called it, my “flavor of craziness”), the experience of writing the piece - and refreshing it each year - has had other benefits. It’s an opportunity for self-reflection that probes beneath the surface to get at what Tara Brach calls, “Radical self-honesty, and the joy of getting real”.
The process is also an opportunity to get honest feedback from others. Once I had a draft, I shared it with my Leadership Team at Global Citizen Year to see how my view of myself lined-up with their experience of me. Incorporating their input required me to listen not for what I wanted to hear, but for what I needed to hear.
Today, everyone on our Leadership Team has their own User Manual, and it’s become an exercise we encourage all of our colleagues to adopt.
I’m a strong believer that leadership is a practice, not a position.
My User Manual is one of the ways I practice leading out loud. It’s a living document that describes my innate wiring and my growing edge, while putting it out to the world that I know I am – and aim to always be -- a work-in-progress.
Abby’s User Manual
My style
- I’ve been hard-wired as an entrepreneur since I was a kid.
- I hover in ambiguity and possibility, and am most energized when I’m connecting dots/people/resources that translate challenges into opportunities. I am always scanning for information to feed ideas in my mind, and typically do my best thinking out loud.
- My high expectations are matched by my commitment to support people in meeting them. I believe in giving people freedom, flexibility and “stretch” assignments, and equipping them with the tools they need to uncover and develop their potential.
- I’m determined to prevent my attention from being hijacked by technology. I never open my computer until I’ve written my quick list of what I intend to do; I hide my inbox to help me focus, and I’ve tried to take control of my phone by removing everything that’s not a “tool” from my home screen.
What I value
- I value resourcefulness and proactivity. Be smart, move fast and pivot quickly. Ask forgiveness rather than permission.
- I’m obsessed with efficiency: I touch each email only once (respond, delete, delegate, or delay), and live by the law of 80/20 – often prioritizing promptness (ie. 24-hour rule in following up on a meeting) over perfection. I start each day by “eating my frog” when my energy and attention are fresh.
- I expect my teammates to value efficiency as well. Before doing something “the way it’s always been done,” scan for an easier, cheaper, simpler way to maximize your “return on effort”. Before starting something from scratch, ask if it’s already been tried.
- I value scrappiness and feel an obligation to our staff, Fellows, partners and donors to focus our limited time and resources on the “real good” vs. the “feel good”.
- I believe work-life alignment matters more than work-life balance, and that strategic self-care – whether sleeping enough, leaving work early to exercise, meditate, or spend time in nature – is the key ingredient to becoming our best, most productive and happy selves. I am religious about spending time unplugged – a day a week, and a few weeks a year.
What I don’t have patience for
- If you make a mistake or something is heading off the rails, tell me before the crash. Failure is great (as long as you learn quickly); surprises are not.
- I get antsy with hypothetical musings and over-analysis. I learn best through experience and experimentation and have a strong bias toward action.
- I default to trust, but if my confidence is shaken, it’s hard to rebuild. Ways to lose my trust: not following through, withholding important information, avoiding hard conversations, or treating others with disrespect.
- I am turned off by entitlement, boredom and taking things for granted – it’s a privilege to do what we do, and it’s our joyful responsibility to take our work seriously, but not ourselves!
How best to communicate with me
- Be crisp. Start with the headlines. I prefer bullet points to prose, and .PPT to .DOC.
- I love to solve problems, remove barriers and help others move the ball forward. Come to me not just with problems, but with plausible solutions and your recommended course of action.
- I value authenticity, honesty and transparency. If I say something you disagree with, tell me. I am hungry to be challenged in thoughtful and constructive ways. I respect people who have the right blend of confidence and humility to know when to question someone (even the boss!), and when to defer to another's expertise.
How to help me
- I move quickly and don’t always catch every detail (except when it comes to our brand and communications where I’m a painstaking perfectionist). I appreciate help making sure the details are covered, and flagging for me any that need my attention.
- Nudge me when it’s time to start or end a meeting - but have (some) patience with my flexible approach to time.
- Tell me what I need to know, not what you think I want to hear.
Samsung galaxy s8 user guide us cellular. What people misunderstand about me
- I am an introvert, posing as a professional extrovert. Don’t confuse my tendency to work alone in my office with being disengaged. My door’s always open.
- I speak with conviction, but I’m not set in my thinking. I'm open-minded and always delighted to be shown a better way. I make decisions quickly, but if you give me reasoning or data that points in another direction, I’ll happily change course.
Finally, I may be the boss, but I’m also a person, a teammate and a messy work-in-progress. I’m committed to always getting better at my job, and to becoming a wiser, kinder and more impactful human.
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What would your User Manual say? Check out this this piece to get started: Five Steps to Create a personal User Manual
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