Manuals are Complex Requiring Many Skills
Manuals by nature are very similar to instructions only more ambitious projects. Writing them is a very complex undertaking involving more planning and costs. They are almost always a collaborative project. Many skills are incorporated including: technical writing, graphics, production, knowledge of contracts, and the law. As with instructions , their number one priority and responsibility is the safety of the readers. A good work attracts more business and a bad one causes injuries, hardships, mistrust and bad will, and liability lawsuits. Like the smaller instructions, they come in many sizes depending on what the product is all about. Each one requires three stages to put it all together.
The complexity and sophistication of the product governs the approach taken by the writing team. Usually, several versions are written to accomodate a diverse audience. Sometimes a different way is used, where a main manual is written and is complimented with related documents such as workbooks and brochures. Always reader motivation is paramount after the project's primary purpose of the kind being written. This is important because some of these technical documents are huge. All recommended proven methods for writing technical documentation is used to make the user comfortable and less overwhelmed by the size of the manual. Lots of white space and carefully selected and well placed graphics help the cause. Using drafts created by SMEs (subject matter experts) and revising and rewriting them is also a method employed. Storyboarding is another tool used by the writing team helping them define what material and graphics are utilized and where. Larger and more complex ones make revision more complicated. This stage is basically a series of different kinds of checks. Here everything is checked, structure, style, organization, emphasis, and the technical information being used. All manuals are composed of a front matter, body, and the back matter. The front matter, which includes the document cover, helps readers understand the content. Past the cover most of these technical documents have a table of contents, a preface, introduction, and maybe a how-to-use section. The body of the manual can have a variety of different looks including the traditional report format. Content depends what the document is all about and for what audience. The back matter could be an index or a glossary. The index is common in works of 20 to 30 pages and more. The document can also include appendices which contain all kinds of useful information.
There are many different types of manuals each tailored to the myriad of different products on the market that require them. One important type is the service which as its name implies is used mostly by service trades or technical people. This type usually provides graphics and text that explains the maintenance and repair procedures that must be followed. Generally, the product is a single one like for example your camera, car, or the water pump at your country place. One that I like and have used a lot for my cars is the Haynes Service and Repair Manual which is a good reference for those who want to do their own repairs. It has lots of graphics, photos and exploded views detailing various car parts. Another similar and related yet slightly different type is called the maintenance. This type is designed and written for individuals usually professional technicians engaged in keeping large industrial type of machinery functioning properly. Industrial machinery comes in many makes and certain ones are more complex than others of same type. Some makes sometimes employ parts made by different manufacturers but are assembled by the company that sells it. This makes it important for the purchaser of the machinery to have a qualified maintenance crew that uses the maintenance manuals as a reference source to do proper work. When companies such as machine shops sometimes purchase new machinery this new stuff comes each with its own operator's manual. This type explains how to safely use the machinery such as the lathe, milling machine, surface grinder etc. It also gives clear instructions on how to take care of the machinery. The operator's are not only meant for machine tools and industrial equipment, we find them with certain consumer products such as various electronic products. Sometimes the operator's is also called the owner's manual it all depends on the product. All technical communication documents are normally designed to address the specific needs of audiences providing easy to read useful information. They also require a certain look and feel, and layout to assure its effectiveness. The operator's usually includes an introduction and some preamble whereas both the service and the maintenance types do not. These rather focus on the installation, maintaining, and repair aspects of the product. Because of the diversity of products precise content will vary however, certain categories of information are typical and generally addressed. Service documents usually cover the following:
The typical maintenance document meanwhile, covers the following:
Graphics including photos, exploded view diagrams, circuit diagrams, icons, and illustrations of all types help make the manuals more easily understood by the users. It well known that images are generally more powerful and memorable than just a bunch of text.
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