What does a good technical writer look like?
What does a good technical writer look like? At any rate, a technical writer should not only be… technical. Of course, he has to feel comfortable with everything that has to do with mechanics and electronics. Building on this foundation, any specific product should hold no secret for him when he starts writing. It is here where social skills come in. After all, you have to ask the right questions to the right people… the right way.
Read moreChecking your documentation on STE
Simplified Technical English (STE) is an international standard for using English in technical documentation. By standardizing both terminology and grammar, an unambiguous version of English gives instant clarity to anyone operating a specific machine or product – or a series of similar machines/products
Read moreCreating a manual in 10 steps
A manual is intended to convey information from a product to its user. Products include machines, software, appliances and consumer products. Any hazards not mitigated by the product itself - or by additives to the product - are described in the manual. In addition, the manual explains all aspects such as use, installation, assembly, transportation and maintenance. Manualise is happy to give you an overview of how to create of a manual.
Read moreWriting instructions that work
Writing instructions is a craft. Although one might prefer clear-cut illustrations instead of written instructions, this is not always possible. At first glance, writing technical instructions does not seem to be that difficult. But the writing rules in question are often forgotten. Technical writers should embrace these rules wholeheartedly.
Read moreWriting instructions that work
Writing instructions is a craft. Although one might prefer clear-cut illustrations instead of written instructions, this is not always possible. At first glance, writing technical instructions does not seem to be that difficult. But the writing rules in question are often forgotten. Technical writers should embrace these rules wholeheartedly.
Read moreWriting a user manual without a hick-up?
How to write a user manual? Although this question is not that hard to answer, end results indicate that the rules for setting up a user manual are not always adhered to. This is unfortunate, because simple writing rules are a real compensation for complex projects, like creating multiple manuals in multiple languages. Not only do we know how to make a user manual, we also know how to reduce the complexity of any project that involves user manuals.
Read moreMeeting legal requirements = a manual without a worry
Are you planning to sell your product or set of products abroad? Then you should be aware of the legal requirements that not only apply to your product(s), but also to your manual(s). We can check if your manual meets all necessary legal requirements, wherever on the globe, including, of course, the question if translation is required
Read moreContent with the look and feel of your manual
In a manual template, you can ‘bundle’ every decision you make on the style with which you want to present yourself to the outside world. We are talking color use here, type of fonts, character sizes and so on. A manual template leads to a consistent layout and a recognizable ‘look and feel’, both on paper and online. Your template can also be used to present a table of contents for each chapter or webpage. Needless to say that a template creates consistency when publishing multiple manuals in multiple languages
Read moreContent Strategy
Ellis Pratt recently gave a webinar in which he said that “content strategy” gets more hits on Google than “technical documentation”. Content strategy is hot! Having a proper content strategy is essential because it can influence a user’s purchasing decision and ensure that customers return to a particular brand. In this blog, we look into this in greater detail.
Read moreTen ways to improve the customer journey
Immediately after a product is purchased, its user consults the manual. This is usually the last time the consumer has contact with the company from whom the product was purchased. And after all the effort that you, as a company, have put into developing a good product and good marketing, you especially do not want the last time that you have contact to be a negative experience! In this blog, I discuss the main points on which at this time the customer journey can be improved.
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