What are the key principles and standards of technical communication for user manuals and guides?

1 Define the purpose and scope

Before you start writing a user manual or guide, you should define the purpose and scope of the document. The purpose is the main objective or goal that you want to achieve with the document, such as instructing, explaining, or persuading. The scope is the extent or range of topics, tasks, or features that you want to cover in the document, such as installation, configuration, or troubleshooting. Defining the purpose and scope will help you focus on the essential information and avoid unnecessary or irrelevant details.

2 Know your audience

Another important principle of technical communication is to know your audience and tailor your content to their needs, preferences, and expectations. You should consider factors such as the audience's background, experience, knowledge, skills, motivation, and goals when writing a user manual or guide. For example, you should use appropriate language, tone, and style for your audience, such as formal or informal, technical or non-technical, friendly or authoritative. You should also use appropriate visual aids, such as diagrams, screenshots, or icons, to support your text and enhance your audience's comprehension.

3 Organize your content

A user manual or guide should have a clear and logical structure that guides your audience through the document and helps them find the information they need. You should organize your content into sections, subsections, headings, subheadings, and paragraphs that follow a consistent and coherent order and hierarchy. You should also use transitions, signposts, and summaries to connect your content and show the relationships between different parts of the document. Additionally, you should provide a table of contents, an index, a glossary, and cross-references to facilitate navigation and reference.

4 Write clearly and concisely

One of the main standards of technical communication is to write clearly and concisely, using simple and precise language that conveys your message without ambiguity or confusion. You should avoid jargon, slang, idioms, or acronyms that your audience may not understand or that may have different meanings in different contexts. You should also avoid long or complex sentences, passive voice, or unnecessary modifiers that may obscure or weaken your message. Instead, you should use short and simple sentences, active voice, and specific nouns and verbs that express your meaning clearly and directly.

5 Follow conventions and guidelines

Another standard of technical communication is to follow the conventions and guidelines that apply to your document type, format, and style. Conventions and guidelines are the rules or norms that govern the appearance, layout, design, and presentation of your document. They can include aspects such as font size, color, alignment, spacing, margins, headings, numbering, bullets, tables, figures, captions, citations, references, and so on. Following conventions and guidelines will help you ensure consistency, readability, and professionalism in your document. You should also follow the standards of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage in your language.

6 Test and revise your document

Finally, a user manual or guide should be tested and revised before it is published or distributed to your audience. Testing and revising your document will help you identify and correct any errors, inconsistencies, gaps, or ambiguities in your content, structure, or design. You should test your document with real or representative users, using various methods such as usability testing, feedback surveys, or peer reviews. You should also revise your document based on the results of your testing, using various techniques such as editing, proofreading, or formatting. Testing and revising your document will help you improve its quality, effectiveness, and user satisfaction.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?