Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Suggest You - Great Technical Writing: Make Your Product Fit
In this day and age most major stores you go into accepts credit cards. Many consumers today have ceased carrying cash. For most businesses it is almost imperative that you accept credit cards in order to compete. In the past there was a stigma about how expensive it was for merchants to accept credit cards. However, if you are set up with the correct type of merchant account the cost associated with it is not really expensive. If you are able to save each sale that you have lost from not accepting credit cards, or from accepting a check against your better judgement your overall revenue would increase.Some merchants have accepted
What the User is Used to: A shampoo is used on the hair and immediately rinsed. A conditioner gets left in the hair for a few minutes, then rinsed.
The Problem: Does this 2 in 1 product get left in the hair, or does it get rinsed out immediately?
The Solution: Provide correct instructions on the package. Or, if it does not matter how long the 2 in 1 product gets left in the hair, then say so. Don't leave the User guessing. If the User wanted to guess about something, then they would be reading a novel, not your User Documentation.
BOTTOM LINE: What to Do for Your Documentation
Examine your product in the light of how it will change the way that the User currently does things. How will it fit into the User's life? How does the product fit with other products your User employs?
Make sure that your User Documentation helps the User to effectively fit the pro
Corporate meetings and business conference demand a special environment where they can be conducted professionally and effectively. No matter how hard we try to hold meetings effectively in makeshift venues, we can not create that impact which only the right venues can provide.Conferencing facilities and venues have been undergoing constant evolution. Now a days conference facilities have become quite high-tech. They serve all the amenities required to conduct a successful meeting. Loaded with modern conferencing facilities, especially a wide range of audio / visual equipments like OHP, LCD projector, DVD players, VoIP faci
Most product documentation sounds like their product is the only thing in the User's life. Such thinking results in User confusion and dissatisfaction. This article presents three real-life examples of this attitude, and what should be done to remedy these unfortunate situations. The article concludes with some techniques for the writer.
BACKGROUND
There are two important facts that User Documentation ignores:
1. Your product is a only minor item in your User's life
2. Your User Documentation must help fit your product into the User's life
User Documentation that is written with awareness of these facts results in a better user experience. Here are three examples of where the writers (always incorrectly) thought that their product was the only thing in the User's life.
EXAMPLE 1: Shoe Cleaner/Protector
Most people know about polishing and perhaps cleaning their leather shoes. This cleaner/protector product is meant to clean, protect and shine shoes. The instructions simply tell the User how to apply the product.
What the User is Used to: I polish my shoes with regular wax (or liquid) shoe polish.
The Problem: If a User wants to polish his/her shoes as well as use your cleaner/protector, then what order should the polish and the cleaner/protector be used? The instructions merely tell the User how to apply the cleaner/protector. It's like the cleaner/protector is the only shoe product in existence.
Possible Solutions: The the cleaner/protector instructions could say (as appropriate):
* Use the cleaner/protector instead of your normal shoe polish.
* Use the cleaner/protector after you polish the shoes with your regular shoe polish.
* For a deluxe shoe treatment, use the cleaner/protector first on the shoes. Wait a few minutes, then wipe off any excess with a clean cloth. Then polish the shoes using your regular shoe polish, in the usual way. Finally, use the cleaner/protector again, but do not wipe it off.
These would make for much more effective instructions, and they could easily fit on the package.
EXAMPLE 2: DVD Player didn't realize that I had a VCR
People buying a DVD player a few years ago were in the following situation. They had a VCR connected to the single video input of their TV. DVD players' instructions described how to connect the player to a TV using a video input. The instructions ignored the situation of how to connect the player if there already was a VCR connected to the TV 's only video input.
What the User is Used to: The VCR is connected to the only video input of my old television.
The Problem: My new DVD player needs to be connected to the TV's only video input. Do I have to buy a switch or manually switch the DVD player and VCR?
Solution: The writer should provide some tips or instructions how to set up the DVD player in the customer's real-life situation. These instructions may include how to connect the DVD video through the VCR. Or connecting the DVD to the TV's video input, and connecting the antenna of the VCR to the antenna input of the TV. Both devices can be connected with no need to buy additional parts. The instructions should mention how. It would improve the User's experience in setting up the new device. (The instructions should also mention that these methods of connecting the devices would yield a less than optimal picture.)
EXAMPLE 3: A 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner Product
A User normally shampoos his/her hair and then may use a separate conditioner product. He/she just purchased your product, a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner. It has no instructions.
What the User is Used to: A shampoo is used on the hair and immediately rinsed. A conditioner gets left in the hair for a few minutes, then rinsed.
The Problem: Does this 2 in 1 product get left in the hair, or does it get rinsed out immediately?
The Solution: Provide correct instructions on the package. Or, if it does not matter how long the 2 in 1 product gets left in the hair, then say so. Don't leave the User guessing. If the User wanted to guess about something, then they would be reading a novel, not your User Documentation.
BOTTOM LINE: What to Do for Your Documentation
Examine your product in the light of how it will change the way that the User currently does things. How will it fit into the User's life? How does the product fit with other products your User employs?
Make sure that your User Documentation helps the User to effectively fit the pro
This might be for you. Make Money with Private Label E-book Resell RightsEach year, million of Americans think about working from home. Many of those individuals are either stay at home parents, retired, or disabled. Working from home allows many individuals, who otherwise would be unemployed, to generate an income. While the previously mentioned individuals most commonly work from home, you do not have to fall into one of those categories to be a home worker. If fact, if you just feel like working form home, you can.One of the many reasons why working from home has increased in popularity is due to the limited number of ex
What the User is Used to: I polish my shoes with regular wax (or liquid) shoe polish.
The Problem: If a User wants to polish his/her shoes as well as use your cleaner/protector, then what order should the polish and the cleaner/protector be used? The instructions merely tell the User how to apply the cleaner/protector. It's like the cleaner/protector is the only shoe product in existence.
Possible Solutions: The the cleaner/protector instructions could say (as appropriate):
* Use the cleaner/protector instead of your normal shoe polish.
* Use the cleaner/protector after you polish the shoes with your regular shoe polish.
* For a deluxe shoe treatment, use the cleaner/protector first on the shoes. Wait a few minutes, then wipe off any excess with a clean cloth. Then polish the shoes using your regular shoe polish, in the usual way. Finally, use the cleaner/protector again, but do not wipe it off.
These would make for much more effective instructions, and they could easily fit on the package.
EXAMPLE 2: DVD Player didn't realize that I had a VCR
People buying a DVD player a few years ago were in the following situation. They had a VCR connected to the single video input of their TV. DVD players' instructions described how to connect the player to a TV using a video input. The instructions ignored the situation of how to connect the player if there already was a VCR connected to the TV 's only video input.
What the User is Used to: The VCR is connected to the only video input of my old television.
The Problem: My new DVD player needs to be connected to the TV's only video input. Do I have to buy a switch or manually switch the DVD player and VCR?
Solution: The writer should provide some tips or instructions how to set up the DVD player in the customer's real-life situation. These instructions may include how to connect the DVD video through the VCR. Or connecting the DVD to the TV's video input, and connecting the antenna of the VCR to the antenna input of the TV. Both devices can be connected with no need to buy additional parts. The instructions should mention how. It would improve the User's experience in setting up the new device. (The instructions should also mention that these methods of connecting the devices would yield a less than optimal picture.)
EXAMPLE 3: A 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner Product
A User normally shampoos his/her hair and then may use a separate conditioner product. He/she just purchased your product, a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner. It has no instructions.
What the User is Used to: A shampoo is used on the hair and immediately rinsed. A conditioner gets left in the hair for a few minutes, then rinsed.
The Problem: Does this 2 in 1 product get left in the hair, or does it get rinsed out immediately?
The Solution: Provide correct instructions on the package. Or, if it does not matter how long the 2 in 1 product gets left in the hair, then say so. Don't leave the User guessing. If the User wanted to guess about something, then they would be reading a novel, not your User Documentation.
BOTTOM LINE: What to Do for Your Documentation
Examine your product in the light of how it will change the way that the User currently does things. How will it fit into the User's life? How does the product fit with other products your User employs?
Make sure that your User Documentation helps the User to effectively fit the pro
Health care cost is extraordinarily high and is continually getting higher every year. It almost impossible to pay for a serious medical procedure out-of-pocket without help. That is the main function of health care insurance. For a fee they will pay for part or all of your medical bills.Research has shown that nearly 80% of all Americans have some form of medical coverage. About 60% of them receive their medical insurance coverage from the work place, or medical policies from the workplace of their family members. Nearly a quarter of those left have their medical coverage provided by the U.S government through Medicare or Me
These would make for much more effective instructions, and they could easily fit on the package.
EXAMPLE 2: DVD Player didn't realize that I had a VCR
People buying a DVD player a few years ago were in the following situation. They had a VCR connected to the single video input of their TV. DVD players' instructions described how to connect the player to a TV using a video input. The instructions ignored the situation of how to connect the player if there already was a VCR connected to the TV 's only video input.
What the User is Used to: The VCR is connected to the only video input of my old television.
The Problem: My new DVD player needs to be connected to the TV's only video input. Do I have to buy a switch or manually switch the DVD player and VCR?
Solution: The writer should provide some tips or instructions how to set up the DVD player in the customer's real-life situation. These instructions may include how to connect the DVD video through the VCR. Or connecting the DVD to the TV's video input, and connecting the antenna of the VCR to the antenna input of the TV. Both devices can be connected with no need to buy additional parts. The instructions should mention how. It would improve the User's experience in setting up the new device. (The instructions should also mention that these methods of connecting the devices would yield a less than optimal picture.)
EXAMPLE 3: A 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner Product
A User normally shampoos his/her hair and then may use a separate conditioner product. He/she just purchased your product, a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner. It has no instructions.
What the User is Used to: A shampoo is used on the hair and immediately rinsed. A conditioner gets left in the hair for a few minutes, then rinsed.
The Problem: Does this 2 in 1 product get left in the hair, or does it get rinsed out immediately?
The Solution: Provide correct instructions on the package. Or, if it does not matter how long the 2 in 1 product gets left in the hair, then say so. Don't leave the User guessing. If the User wanted to guess about something, then they would be reading a novel, not your User Documentation.
BOTTOM LINE: What to Do for Your Documentation
Examine your product in the light of how it will change the way that the User currently does things. How will it fit into the User's life? How does the product fit with other products your User employs?
Make sure that your User Documentation helps the User to effectively fit the pro
ISO 9000 grew out of BS 5750, a standard published by the British Standards Institution (BSI) in 1979. Initially, it was used only in manufacturing industries. ISO 9000 is now employed across a variety of other types of businesses. It is a set of international standards of quality management systems. ISO 9000 has been accepted by more than 100 countries as their national quality assurance standard by the end of 1997.The history of ISO 9000 dates back to Mil-Q-9858a, the first quality standard for military procurement established in 1959 by the US. By 1962, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) developed its quality
Solution: The writer should provide some tips or instructions how to set up the DVD player in the customer's real-life situation. These instructions may include how to connect the DVD video through the VCR. Or connecting the DVD to the TV's video input, and connecting the antenna of the VCR to the antenna input of the TV. Both devices can be connected with no need to buy additional parts. The instructions should mention how. It would improve the User's experience in setting up the new device. (The instructions should also mention that these methods of connecting the devices would yield a less than optimal picture.)
EXAMPLE 3: A 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner Product
A User normally shampoos his/her hair and then may use a separate conditioner product. He/she just purchased your product, a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner. It has no instructions.
What the User is Used to: A shampoo is used on the hair and immediately rinsed. A conditioner gets left in the hair for a few minutes, then rinsed.
The Problem: Does this 2 in 1 product get left in the hair, or does it get rinsed out immediately?
The Solution: Provide correct instructions on the package. Or, if it does not matter how long the 2 in 1 product gets left in the hair, then say so. Don't leave the User guessing. If the User wanted to guess about something, then they would be reading a novel, not your User Documentation.
BOTTOM LINE: What to Do for Your Documentation
Examine your product in the light of how it will change the way that the User currently does things. How will it fit into the User's life? How does the product fit with other products your User employs?
Make sure that your User Documentation helps the User to effectively fit the pro
Getting inexpensive financing is essential, after all, vacations though very important, are not a regular expense that contributes to income. Thus, you should try to save as much money as possible and saving on interests is an excellent place to start. Thus, using a personal loan instead of credit cards is a brilliant idea.Secured Or Unsecured Personal loans can be either secured or unsecured. Personal unsecured loans are widely available and can provide you with enough funds to finance your whole vacations. The interest rate charged for unsecured personal loans is high but lower than the one charged for financing w
What the User is Used to: A shampoo is used on the hair and immediately rinsed. A conditioner gets left in the hair for a few minutes, then rinsed.
The Problem: Does this 2 in 1 product get left in the hair, or does it get rinsed out immediately?
The Solution: Provide correct instructions on the package. Or, if it does not matter how long the 2 in 1 product gets left in the hair, then say so. Don't leave the User guessing. If the User wanted to guess about something, then they would be reading a novel, not your User Documentation.
BOTTOM LINE: What to Do for Your Documentation
Examine your product in the light of how it will change the way that the User currently does things. How will it fit into the User's life? How does the product fit with other products your User employs?
Make sure that your User Documentation helps the User to effectively fit the product into his/her life. By ignoring the reality of your User's situation, you are forcing him/her to solve problems that you could easily solve. If you provide the solutions, then you will create a better product experience for your User.
Fitting the product into the User's life presents the writer with a duty and an opportunity:
* The duty to ease the User from what he/she previously did to the new product's situation
* The opportunity to explain your product by using the User's experience as a background
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.suggestyou.com/article/163294/suggestyou-Great-Technical-Writing-Make-Your-Product-Fit.html">Great Technical Writing: Make Your Product Fit</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.suggestyou.com/article/163294/suggestyou-Great-Technical-Writing-Make-Your-Product-Fit.html]Great Technical Writing: Make Your Product Fit[/url]
Related Articles:
Personal Development Plans For Musicians
Breaking the Growth Barriers in the Information Technology and Software Sector
Bookmark it:
|