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We all have have an experience with technical documentation that filled a small binder and held the information that was needed on the last page. This kind of documentation is not only boring, but incredibly frustrating for a consumer who wants to use the product they have purchased not learn how to build the product. Over the last few years more manufacturers and designers have discovered that writing dynamic documentation for products is almost as important as building the products.
There are some easy ways to make documentation very simple for your audience to read and use. A huge key to getting return customers for your products is to have the kind of technical documentation that is consistently easy to use and navigate. The methods of writing this documentation has changed as people have become more embedded into the computer mediums and this must be taken into account when you are writing documentation.
Acknowledging and incorporating the reading habits of people in writing results in a more effective and useful document. When a person reads data on their computer they skim and miss huge amounts of information and focus on bold text, text that is out of alignment and bullet points. Using graphics attracts the eye and will trigger the mind to important points.
The style of writing that is effective has evolved significantly from "writing styles" considered the norm historically. Writing dynamic materials requires that the document be short, to the point, interesting, and incorporates bullet points, bold text and graphics.
In most cases, when a person has designed or built a product, they know every piece of the gadget and what it will do. The tendency is to talk about this great stuff. Unfortunately, the user doesn't care about that, they want you to tell them "screw bolt A into B and the gadget will work". An individual who writes four or five pages getting to that instruction will lose their audience on page 1. The repairman will appreciate the documentation that gives details about a car. The consumer wants documentation that says "turn the key, the car will start."
Writing for the target market will require that you keep in mind the level of reading comprehension that you audience has. Writing a document for people in the US means that you are reaching out to people with an average reading level between the fourth and eighth grade. These individuals have a reading comprehension of between the fourth and sixth grade.
Writing documentation for a widget that is going to marketed and sold to a market in the US will not be dynamic or effective if it is written for the top 5-10% of Americans. Over 95% of the market will not be reached and a prime marketing tool will be lost.
In order for documentation to be effective and dynamic, it must be written in a way that motivates the reader to follow easy instructions and provides the promised working product when it is completed. Writing technical documentation for the service people and separate documentation for the user of the product will provide a line of communication when the product needs repair. It will also give the manufacturer or designer the kind of credibility that will create a wider market and increased loyalty from customers.
There are some easy ways to make documentation very simple for your audience to read and use. A huge key to getting return customers for your products is to have the kind of technical documentation that is consistently easy to use and navigate. The methods of writing this documentation has changed as people have become more embedded into the computer mediums and this must be taken into account when you are writing documentation.
Acknowledging and incorporating the reading habits of people in writing results in a more effective and useful document. When a person reads data on their computer they skim and miss huge amounts of information and focus on bold text, text that is out of alignment and bullet points. Using graphics attracts the eye and will trigger the mind to important points.
The style of writing that is effective has evolved significantly from "writing styles" considered the norm historically. Writing dynamic materials requires that the document be short, to the point, interesting, and incorporates bullet points, bold text and graphics.
In most cases, when a person has designed or built a product, they know every piece of the gadget and what it will do. The tendency is to talk about this great stuff. Unfortunately, the user doesn't care about that, they want you to tell them "screw bolt A into B and the gadget will work". An individual who writes four or five pages getting to that instruction will lose their audience on page 1. The repairman will appreciate the documentation that gives details about a car. The consumer wants documentation that says "turn the key, the car will start."
Writing for the target market will require that you keep in mind the level of reading comprehension that you audience has. Writing a document for people in the US means that you are reaching out to people with an average reading level between the fourth and eighth grade. These individuals have a reading comprehension of between the fourth and sixth grade.
Writing documentation for a widget that is going to marketed and sold to a market in the US will not be dynamic or effective if it is written for the top 5-10% of Americans. Over 95% of the market will not be reached and a prime marketing tool will be lost.
In order for documentation to be effective and dynamic, it must be written in a way that motivates the reader to follow easy instructions and provides the promised working product when it is completed. Writing technical documentation for the service people and separate documentation for the user of the product will provide a line of communication when the product needs repair. It will also give the manufacturer or designer the kind of credibility that will create a wider market and increased loyalty from customers.
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Looking to find the best deal on technical documentation, then visit www.jkmediaproductions.com to find the best advice on technical documentation services.
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