How to write an effective instruction manual

Being wordy just to add content and to make the manual longer is never recommended. If a procedure can be answered in just a few sentences then it is best to leave it that way. Be brief by getting to the point and answering all important items that need to be addressed. . Step 1: Write the draft of the Training Manual When writing your draft manual, implement the following tips. A. Chunk material into shorter; albeit logical, sections. Connect sections with transitions. Trainees will be overwhelmed by huge amounts of text group together. To reduce theirFile Size: 1MB.  · Structure your work instructions in a clear, step-by-step instruction hierarchy (guide - topic - instruction - step). Use an active tone of voice when writing instructions. Keep it short and to the point. Use a clear visual to illustrate the step. Split up a task in several different sub-tasks.

the effectiveness of a subset of the instructions produced in the first experiment. Finally, the third experiment tested whether the highly ranked instructions were more effective. Yet another group of participants used instructions ranked in the second experiment to assemble the TV stand, while experimenters recorded task comple-. Write work instructions the same way you write a manual - with a research-based and user-focused approach. Empower efficiency with instructional design. We've taken the principles needed to write a manual (and make it great), and applied them to the nuanced world of work instructions for the manufacturing industry. A work instruction - or work guide, job aid or standard operating procedure - describes in detail how an activity within a process (or procedure) is performed. Your work instruction should therefore be part of an overall process improvement plan. With this clarity let's move on to the topic of how to write work instructions.

How to Write a Great User Manual in 12 Steps. 1. Define Your Audience. Know your reader—what is their experience level? where are they reading the manual?—and optimize your instructions to match 2. Describe the Problem. 3. Break it Down. 4. Be Descriptive. 5. Stick to the Topic at Hand. Structure your work instructions in a clear, step-by-step instruction hierarchy (guide - topic - instruction - step). Use an active tone of voice when writing instructions. Keep it short and to the point. Use a clear visual to illustrate the step. Split up a task in several different sub-tasks. Using a style guide helps you to write and format documentation in a clearer way, and to keep a consistent tone of voice and style. Another thing to be aware of when creating clear instruction manuals, is to avoid vague words. Examples of such words are thing, part and stuff.