User Guides – Case 1

The Need

A leading high tech manufacturing company had developed a software interface for a bio-measurement device. The company wanted installation and user manuals developed for sales representatives, nurses, physicians, and researchers. It wanted the manuals to be thorough, with the information designed and written so users could easily find and use it. The manuals needed to be completed so that there would be enough time for translation and printing.

Solution

Dashe & Thomson provided a senior technical writer to design and develop the manuals. The technical writer worked with the project lead to analyze the purpose and audience for each manual type. The writer created complementary designs for the two manuals - organizing the manuals based on how the functions would be used - and wrote the content.

The technical writer took translation needed to be taken into account in creating the design and writing the content. The designs were created with ample white space to accommodate the increase in the amount of text resulting from translation. The content was written in simplified English to ensure consistency of word usage in order to facilitate translation.

Results

The company was able to launch the product on time accompanied by manuals that were designed and written to be easy to use, whether in English and or in the languages of the company’s international markets.