NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING
ENGINEERING
TITLE: GROUP 5 ASSIGNMENT
COURSE: PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING
COUESE CODE: EIE 1116
LECTURER: MARGRET MUNYAU
DUE DATE: 20 OCTOBER 2022
GROUP MEMBERS
TASHINGA MUSHANINGA N02222575T
LORRAINE SANANGURA N02218606V
TAONA NHARINGO N02219821P
MAFUKIDZE LIBERTY N02214216G
PRINCE C CHIKWATA N02212533G
KUNDAI KRISTA MADIBA N02211655Q
DEBRA JEKISENI N02221262X
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USER INSTRUCTION MANUAL
INTRODUCTION
A user manual is a document provided to a user that helps in using a particular system,
product or service without causing harm to the user or the product. The document is
highly detailed and captures all the safety concerns and procedural tasks that have to be
carried out to ensure the correct and safe usage of the product.
TYPES OF USER MANUALS
Instruction Manual: An instruction manual contains basic instructions that
tells users how best to use a product.
Training Manual: A training manual is a set of instructions that tell users how
to complete a job, process or task.
Service Manual: A service manual is a set of instructions guiding users on
how to keep a piece of machinery running at different points in its life. A
machinery running at different points in its life.
User Manual: As mentioned before, user manuals are technical
communication documents that assist users with the operation of a product.
Operation Manual: An operation manual is the documentation of your
company’s information including roles, responsibilities and processes.
Organizational Policy Manual: An organizational policy manual documents
the company’s policies, procedures and best practices.
CONTENTS OF A GOOD USER MANUAL
1. Plain language:
Your writing should be clear, simple, and easy to understand, without requiring a dictionary to
get through.
Use short sentences and words to make your text accessible. If you have to use a technical
term, make sure you define it or link to a glossary.
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2. Visual:
Without visuals, your user manual will end up being a long wall of text without anything to
break it up or catch the attention of your users. In this way, a lot of user manuals can be, well,
boring to read.
Make your documentation interactive by adding relevant images, diagrams and videos for
your users to engage with. Make it clear which step of the instructions your visuals are
referring to so users can make sense of them.
3. Logical hierarchical structure:
Your users need to be able to search through your user manual using a predefined sense of
structure to guide them. Your contents should have a logical hierarchical structure that makes
sense to users when they are looking for information.
4. Searchable content:
Ideally you need to make your content searchable for users by delivering it as an online
knowledge base with a clear and prominent search bar. Your search bar should predict the
terms that your users are typing in and search both the title and body content of your articles.
5. Clear topics and relevant articles:
You should organize your content into clear topics that make sense for the articles contained
within them. You should not have too many topics for your documentation or that could be
overwhelming for users, and at the same time don’t have too many levels of subtopics or your
documentation could be difficult to penetrate.
6. Feedback and reviews:
Actively seek feedback from your users on your user manual and take their suggested
improvements into account. Find out whether your users are actually being successful with
your manual and whether it is enabling them to solve their problems.
EFFECTIVENESS OF A USER MANUAL
It ensures the proper use of the product sold.
Saving in terms of time.
Serves in guiding and reference for the use of a particular equipment or tool.
It is also very effective in products where serious injuries and also sometimes where
death can be counted as a result of not preparing handling the product that is limit legal
liability to misuse a product.
IMPROVEMENTS TO A USER MANUAL
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Explanations should be very descriptive
Use of a template
Not using first person
Taking videos or else pictures which are awesome
Knowing the renders and also their level of experience
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THE END
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REFERENCES
Wikipedia
Boffins decipher manual for 2,000-year-old Ancient Greek computer".
Retrieved 2018-11-29.
Chafin, Roy (January 1982). "User Manuals: What Does the User Really
Need?” SIGDOC '82 Proceedings of the 1st annual international conference
on systems documentation: 36–39 – via ACM Digital Library.
McKee, John (August 1986). "Computer User Manuals in Print: Do They
Have a Future?"ACM SIGDOC Asterisk Journal of Computer
Documentation. 12: 11–16 – via ACM Digital Library.
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