Technical Writing – 3 Steps To Great User Documentation

There’s nothing more frustrating than a manual that lets you down, you know the moment when you get a brand new gadget and you’re all excited to get going with it, and then you realise that the documents are gibberish and it’ll take a week of trial and error to figure out how to plug the thing in.
It’s a technical author’s responsibility to head off your disappointment and make great user guides that if done right, you don’t really notice using at all.
Here are 3 quick tips for technical authors on how to produce better materials to ensure the best results.
Can the Jargon
It may make sense to you, because it’s your industry but to the rest of the world it sounds like Martian. Everything must be in layman’s terms and any reference to jargon should be fully explained without boring the user to death, you cannot assume that even the most technically specialist equipment will always be used by industry experts.
Be Process Led
Everything should follow a logical order, and that means a step-by-step approach that is based around what the product will be used for. That means no straight list of features, but a design that takes you through each operation wherever possible. For more complex products, with multiple uses this can be frustrating for the writer, but it’s very handy for the person trying to get to grips with something new.
Keep it Clear
No complex language unless absolutely necessary, aim for a reading age of about 7 (that’s what tabloid newspapers do, and to an extent that’s why they sell well too). Wherever a picture or a diagram could say it better than words, use one. Short(ish) sentences and short paragraphs are a must. If in doubt, get someone (ideally unfamiliar with the product) to read the work through and if they don’t get it, do it again.
Why is it important?
Because people hate to read manuals, really hate them. The ideal for most users is to pick up a piece of equipment and have it be immediately self explanatory, which is exactly what most people do with a DVD recorder or new television (the documentation seems to serve as a backup) but only because the technology is so familiar now.
If you can develop great material that’s easy to follow and not too painful to use, they may just read it. Which means your helpdesk can spend their time supporting real issues and not just correcting your failure to communicate, saving you money.