how to create a user manual in word

If there are some maintenance tasks that can only be performed by a certified technician, divide the maintenance portion of the manual into two sections. You should also include a phone number and/or email for customer service in this section. The results are as follows: This article describes exactly the steps we followed. Exclude unnecessary material to avoid information overload (for example sales promotion, extensive repetition etc). Action: conduct a risk analysis and craft your safety messages using this template. testing, and creating documents in Word software. I provided him with some general information about user instructions and with some good examples of existing user manuals. The paid templates already contain the mandatory legal parts for machinery, toys, electrical equipment or medical devices, which means that you can skip step 6. In order to create an internationally compliant user manual, you should always make sure your manual meets the EU, US and 80279 requirements. Lockout/Tagout before servicing. How to Assemble the Product and How to Do the Electrical Installation). You can never please your entire audience; write the manual to suit the target or largest audience. These requirements also include requirements on the content of your user manual and safety instructions. Ask the translator or agency about their quality procedures and who is going to revise the text after translation. The content needs to be put into the InDesign template. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Images in user manuals may include illustrations, photos, screenshots, tables, diagrams and schematics. Ask them to combine all feedback into one document before sending it back to you. Then you want to warn the user where a hazardous situation might be encountered. The first-level heading describes what the entire chapter or section is about (e.g. Read this article if you need to create a user manual for your machinery, electrical product, toy or medical device yourself, download one of our templates and follow the steps as described in this case study. Typical user types are the end-user, installer, maintenance engineer and operator. In general, the legislation requires that your product is ‘safe’ and therefore gives general safety requirements your product should meet. Get to know about how to write up a contract for payment from this page and download multiple free payment contract templates for various situations. As he has some resources in-house, he does not want to outsource the full development of the manual. https://books.google.com/books?id=FmggBAAAQBAJ&lpg=PR1&pg=PA83#v=onepage&q&f=false, https://books.google.com/books?id=FmggBAAAQBAJ&lpg=PR1&pg=PA80#v=onepage&q&f=false, http://online-learning.com/five-tips-writing-user-manual/, https://books.google.com/books?id=FmggBAAAQBAJ&lpg=PR1&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q&f=false/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. A good user manual is concise and uses jargon-free language. The user plays the central role when drawing up a user manual. An appendix is needed for things that should be explained but cannot be explained at another point in the manual because it would disturb the flow and focus. The crafting of meaningful headings is one of the tools that aid users in finding information. Action: To define the structure of your user manual: You have now created the Table of Contents (ToC). This can be done by creating a user profile, also named a persona. Try the Hemingway App (www.hemmingwayapp.com) to identify passive passages in your writing. In the left column of the Lifecycle tab, the stages of a product’s lifecycle are mentioned. A third-level heading uses noun-phrases (e.g. The user manual should describe the intended use of the product. We are adding here videos containing useful stuff about user manual making and tips so you will be able to utilize your time in best way while making user guides or manuals for end users. Users read this document as a first helpful resource to make use of the product safely without facing any trouble. Look for a translator with similar experience. The free template is a more generic one. If you found this case study inspiring, I’d really appreciate if you would share Philip’s story onFacebook or Twitter, or leave a comment below. Offer test users prototypes of the device and a draft of the user manual under controlled conditions. Here he can add videos as well. PDF. For example, if a cooling system is only used for cooling certain medications, then only these procedures need to be described. Then, include setup instructions, explain basic operations, and create a product summary to go at the end of the manual. These templates contain all legal texts, mandatory disposal information, copyright statements and comply with the IEC 82079 standard on user instructions. If applicable, modify sections 1-3 and the appendices according to your own needs. Action: Adjust the User Manual Template to fit your brand identity, or download the InDesign user manual template and adjust it. That includes the reasonably foreseeable use of the product. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/77\/Write-User-Manuals-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Write-User-Manuals-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/77\/Write-User-Manuals-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1379919-v4-728px-Write-User-Manuals-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"