User-Guides Give Facts Quickly
User-guides are technical documents that really came into vogue when microcomputers started to evolve around the early 1980s and are an important part of our computer age. Every time someone buys a new computer, they help explain how to prepare for installation, the installation of the hardware components, and also the various safety issues to consider. Following the hardware installation, user-guides such as "Getting Started, Installation, and System Administration" explain in simple terms how to prepare, install, configure, and maintain the OS (operating system) and all the applications that will reside inside the computer. Other things they can provide are information on warranties and legal issues, consumer rights, the features, and functionality of the various product interfaces. They may also include facts on how to obtain further information and help from the manufacturer online. User-guides are written not only for computers and their software , they also can be found primarily, with other consumer electronic products such as printers, cell phones, radios, DVD players etc. Like all technical communication, this document project begins with careful planning. The scope, size, delivery format, resources, and all required material is defined and included in a technical document called the Documentation Plan. Although usually a brief booklet containing 10 to 20 pages or it can be a book type document more than 200 pages long. This technical document helps the consumer or user to understand the product he or she purchased. When it is brief, it may contain only as many pages as it takes to sum up with text, illustrations, and photographs the information the user needs to know about the product. The typical user-guide uses simple language and short sentences which help users get the facts quickly. Today, according to the experts, many people have attention deficit disorders and technical writers are aware of this when they craft technical documentation. This writing style helps the user understand it fast. When written properly, they help people who are sometimes frustrated and have lost their patience. It happens often when things go wrong with their installation, configuration, or even when some unexpected glitch occurs while they are using their product. These technical documents are the first port of call for getting the facts. They are sometimes also called "user-manuals", just like other technical documents, are written to address particular audiences. Most are written for the average non-technical person and contain content and terminology easily understood by this audience. Some other user-guides are written for professionals, such as IT systems administrators, engineers and other technical experts, and are more detailed and complex. One that addresses a complex product will obviously be more larger than one for something simple. More pages are created to include the greater and more complex content. Various elements are organized into sections such as features, quick reference, setup installation, troubleshooting, commands, and technical notes. Although there is no universal standard template for these elements and every firm has its own idea what is right, most user guides have some combination of standard book design such as:
A sample user-guide can be seen in the mockup graphic at the top of this article.
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