Sonat

Here you have access to some useful articles provided by Sonat.

Articles

V1.0.0

What is the best approach for creating user manuals?

<h1>What is the best approach for creating user manuals?</h1><p>User manuals guide assembling, installing, and using a product. User manuals could be in different forms, such as user instructions, user guides, quick start guides, getting started guides, or technical&nbsp;documentation.</p><aside class="template-box extra-template-box" variant="extra"><div class="template-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="template-box-description"><p>What You Should Know About the <a href="https://sonat.com/@sonat/articles/what-exactly-is-a-user-manual-and-why-is-it-so-important-?lang=en">importance of user manuals</a> for your business!</p></div></aside><p><img class="image-style-align-right" src="/api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/73acaa39-a93f-4c69-9c7e-50f08fb6cde8.webp" alt="creating user manuals" srcset="/api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/73acaa39-a93f-4c69-9c7e-50f08fb6cde8.webp?width=320 320w, /api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/73acaa39-a93f-4c69-9c7e-50f08fb6cde8.webp?width=350 350w" sizes="100vw" width="350"><img></p><p><span class="custom-heading" id="5e8edf1-4601-a3-ec-4a476106202" title="Who is involved in technical writing, and how is it done?">Who is involved in technical writing, and how is it done?</span></p><p>There are usually three ways companies produce <a href="https://sonat.com/@sonat/articles/who-is-a-technical-writer?lang=en">technical writing</a>, including user and instruction manuals. Let's see which approach is the best and how you can make the best of each method.</p><p><span class="custom-heading" id="bc6ab7-4a4-466-801-f144cced6ec0" title="1. Ask the technical staff to write the user manual">1. Ask the technical staff to write the user manual</span></p><p>Many companies tend to assign one or a team of technical people to do the writing job. That might sound like a clever idea.</p><p>This team includes product engineers, developers, and designers. They are the fathers, the creators. So, they know everything (if not each one individually, but perhaps altogether). In a word, they are the subject experts. And if there is a bug or an error, they are also the best reference.<img class="image-style-align-right" src="/api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/5d5ed74b-d459-477d-b429-68b2287ef8d6.webp" alt="Ask the technical staff to write the user manual" srcset="/api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/5d5ed74b-d459-477d-b429-68b2287ef8d6.webp?width=320 320w, /api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/5d5ed74b-d459-477d-b429-68b2287ef8d6.webp?width=400 400w" sizes="100vw" width="400"></p><p>After all, why bother recruiting and paying an extra employee when the best resources are just there? This is not the best idea, nor the most economical one. While the technical staff is one of the references for a manual, they are not necessarily the best people to create a training manual. Here's why:</p><p>First of all, are they good writers? Many technical people whose primary jobs are to design and develop a product are not interested in writing and documenting; for the same reason, they haven't pursued writing professionally. They might think they have other urgent things to do, which is true, considering their primary tasks and responsibilities. Therefore, they might not be skillful writers and be unwilling to gain those skills. However, if your technical people are good writers or are interested in writing, you're in luck. Still, that's not all.</p><aside class="template-box extra-template-box" variant="extra"><div class="template-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="template-box-description"><p>Creating a Professional Manual is Easy; The Only Thing You Need Is Sonat's <a href="https://sonat.com/templates/">Free User Manual Templates</a>.</p></div></aside><p>Second, People involved in the technical development of a product have different views of it. They're prone to assume a lot of information obvious, while a first-time user certainly needs clarifications. They're likely to fall into this technical writing trap, giving detailed technical information that they think is essential while not helpful for a user.&nbsp;</p><p>Some details are crucial for engineers but don't help average users. What matters to users is the results of the technical process and how it addresses their needs, not what lies behind the process.&nbsp;</p><p>Manuals must be concise and reserved in technical details while generous in giving instructions and warnings. Subject matter experts are also likely to use technical words and jargon and think it's OK. They might even explain terminology by referring to other vocabulary, which creates confusion.</p><h4>Tips for making this method work:</h4><p>If you want to ask your current technical staff to write the manual, involve the whole team. This way, you can ensure that different perspectives are applied.</p><p><span class="custom-heading" id="018bd-4a-4e2d-52cb-1e057161bfdb" title="&nbsp;2. Ask the technical staff to write the manual and have an editor/writer proofread it.">&nbsp;2. Ask the technical staff to write the manual and have an editor/writer proofread it.</span></p><p>This is how it goes. Technical people write a draft and hand it to an editor/technical writer. This way, the writing standards are more likely to be met. The writer will simplify some parts, replace jargon with more common words, unify the whole style, apply some tricks, and make it more attractive.&nbsp;</p><p>This method sounds much better. But can you ensure that the editors will fill the gaps the technical staff has created in the first place? They probably can't guess all the missing parts and improve what they have received.</p><h4>Tips for getting the most out of this method:</h4><ul><li>A good collaboration could result in creating a professional. Make sure you connect the subject matter experts (your technical team) with the writer/editor and do not just ask random writers to edit a document with no background information.&nbsp;</li><li>Make sure that the writer can frequently get back to the technical team to discuss different parts or when there's a question. And also, have the technical team review the edited document to ensure technical content has been perceived and communicated correctly.</li></ul><p><span class="custom-heading" id="06fc84-e5a-51df-1762-b6550b6c7c6" title="3. Have a technical writer do the job in close collaboration with the technical team">3. Have a technical writer do the job in close collaboration with the technical team</span></p><p>Hiring a technical writer sounds like the ideal method. Having a technical writer who creates the manual from the very beginning while having the opportunity to collaborate closely with the technical team, use, test, and study the product is the missing ingredient to a perfectly crafted user manual. It is highly recommended that you recruit a technical writer to write the manual. Subject matter experts can review, comment, explain, and edit while discussing the product's functions and features.&nbsp;</p><aside class="template-box extra-template-box" variant="extra"><div class="template-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="template-box-description"><p>Read <a href="https://sonat.com/@sonat/articles/top-13-rules-to-create-a-user-manual?lang=en">13 New Rules to create a user manual</a> for your business.</p></div></aside><p><span class="custom-heading" id="a4e4ad4-b573-7f00-e0-32a5d46a73a" title="Collaborative writing is the magic trick.">Collaborative writing is the magic trick.</span></p><p>In all three approaches, collaboration is the key to better-crafted writing. Documentation tools that focus on teamwork and provide a space for effective collaboration could facilitate this process. Many online tools are trying to make it easier. There is much more to boosting cooperation than just the ability to share, comment, and discuss different parts. <img class="image-style-align-right" src="/api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/cc95d994-16ea-469b-8450-b4b09d45067b.webp" alt="Collaborative writing is the magic trick" srcset="/api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/cc95d994-16ea-469b-8450-b4b09d45067b.webp?width=320 320w, /api/document/image/76d874ef-ee68-4a00-952c-78af67ead707/4845a450-3161-45c7-9f20-f05167cd06cf/cc95d994-16ea-469b-8450-b4b09d45067b.webp?width=400 400w" sizes="100vw" width="400"></p><p><a href="https://sonat.com/solution/">Sonat</a> has started to focus more and more on promoting collaborative writing by improving workflow features where you can define an automated process. In this process. Everyone in an organization can be involved, and it is possible to assign different tasks and access levels while applying automatic rules; as a result, it saves a lot of editing time.&nbsp;</p><p>Using Sonat, you can prevent publishing low-quality and unmonitored documents while saving your editors and experts a lot of time.&nbsp;</p><p>Learn more about Sonat <a href="https://sonat.com/features/">collaboration features here</a>.&nbsp;</p>

Top 13 Simple But Powerful Rules for Creating User manuals

Write a professional manual using free user manual templates

What exactly is a user manual and why is it so important?

How to create a professional user manual

Why you should stop writing user manuals with Microsoft Word

Internal, External, Product, Process, Technical, and User Documentation

What is technical writing, and who is a technical writer

What Is An Online User Manual? Get The Answer Here!

How to Write a Tutorial for Your Software: A Step-by-Step Guide

Online Tutorial Creator: How to Create Engaging and Effective Online Tutorials

Step by Step Tutorial, Frequently Asked Questions

Internal documentation: Complete guide + Free templates

The benefits of using an online manual versus a print manual

Organize your online manual like a pro: Best practices

Elevate Your Online Manual with Multimedia Elements

The role of search functionality in an online manual

Designing an online manual for mobile devices

Importance of Keeping Your Manual Up-to-Date

The Future of Online user guides

How to choose the best online manual creator for your business

Create an online manual with collaboration features

Create an Online Guide for Product Documentation - tips and tricks

Create an online manual for employee training

Creating Manuals with Version Control Software: A Comprehensive Guide

Create an online manual for software documentation

Project Documentation Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide

HR Documentation: A Comprehensive Guide for Employers

Creating a Procedure Manual: Tips and Best Practices

Expert Tips for Creating Effective Online Tutorials

Creating a Training Manual: The Ultimate Guide

Making a Safety Manual that is Effective and Compliant

Making a Professional Manual from a Template

Simplifying the Complex: Creating Manuals for Small Businesses

Creating User-Friendly Manuals: A Comprehensive Guide

How to Make Online Tutorials on a Budget? 

Checklist: How to Create a Guide that Gets Results

How to create a Troubleshooting Guide from scratch

Create a Software Installation Guide with These Simple Steps

Making a Policy and Procedure Manual: A Comprehensive Guide

Create an SOP guide for internal communications

Create a Style Guide for your SaaS Knowledge Base

The Importance of Consistent Onboarding Documentation

Revolutionize Your Business with These Customer Onboarding Best Practices

Why Investing in Client Onboarding Process Will Pay Off in the Long Run

6 Secrets for Converting Trial Users into Loyal Customers

Making an Operation Manual That Saves You Time and Money

Tips and Tricks for Making a Concise Manual

Create an Effective Guide: The Do's and Don'ts

Writing Process Strategies for Creating User-Friendly Manuals

Know Your Audience: The Key to Creating Effective Manuals

The Ultimate Guide to Creating Manuals with Workflows

Work Smarter: Creating a Manual with Workflow Automation

Documentation Review Process Made Easy: Complete Guide

Why a Knowledge Base is Key to Successful Internal Communication

Unlocking Global Markets with a Multilingual Knowledge Base

Customer Service Knowledge Base Best Practices: A Comprehensive Guide

Zendesk Knowledge Base: Analyzing the Pros and Cons

Top 5 customer experience tools in 2023

Where to use Smart Bars during knowledge sharing?

4 Essential Tools for Technical Writing

How knowledge manager software helps grow your business

How to create an automatic table of contents?

Tacit Knowledge: What You Need to Know

Top 5 Helpjuice Alternatives You Can Trust

The Role of AI in Automated Documentation

On-Premise Software Manuals: Your Training's Missing Link

How to Set Up a Powerful FAQ Page

How Analytics and Metrics Improve Your Technical Content

Corporate Wiki Vs. Knowledge Base - Everything You Need To Now

How Does a REST API Work: A Beginner's Guide

ChatGPT vs. Traditional Software Documentation - Who Wins?

A Comprehensive Guide to Customer Education in SaaS 

Your Definitive Guide to FinTech APIs

Customer Service Automation in 2023

Top 3 user manual creators for 2023

Level Up Your Technical Guidance Document - Ultimate Checklist

Create an Operation & Maintenance Manual - Step-by-Step Guide

7 Secrets to Unlock Exceptional Customer Support with OpenAI

Troubleshooting Common Issues in IT Documentation

How to Create an Outstanding Work Manual

Technical Writer Style Guide: Creating Consistent and Effective Documentation

Decoding the Differences: Product Manual vs. User Manual

Step-by-Step Guide to Knowledge Management Framework

Learning from Technical Guidance Documents Failures

Free User Manual Template 2023

Steps and Benefits of Having a PDF Manual

Exploring the Top 3 Manual Authoring Software Tools

Revealing the Future: AI-powered Documentation Assistant

O&M Manual - Common Mistakes to Avoid

Tacit vs. Explicit Knowledge: A Comparative Study

Effortless Email Integration with Document Collaboration Software

Typography's Role in Making Compelling Manuals

How to create your personal user manual?

AI and Knowledge Manager Platforms

The Importance of Including Videos in User Manuals

SOP for Internal and External Communication - Comprehensive Checklist

Choosing the Right Open Source User Manual Creator

Affordable Online SOP Creator Pricing Plans

How to write a software architecture document

Home