Writing and Designing Manuals, Third Edition

✍ Scribed by Ryn Etter, Patricia A. Robinson

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 220
• Edition: 3
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

A survival guide for writers in the real-world, Writing and Designing Manuals, Third Edition has become a standard reference for technical writers and editors. Readable and practical, it addresses all aspects of manual development from choosing a format to writing effective warnings. Not limited to text elements, the manual also provides guidance for designing illustrations to complement the text and underscore the safety warnings. The completely revised and updated Third Edition includes:Þ Current materials on desktop publishingÞ Alternative media such as videos, CD-ROMs, and on-line helpÞ The impact of new technology such as CD-ROMs and digital cameras on manual design and productionÞ New regulations for products sold overseasÞ Impact of the Internet on manual designGone are the days when a manual might be a few pages of typewritten text. Thanks to the advances in computer technology, even tiny companies can produce slick, professional publications. Writing and Designing Manuals, Third Edition guides you through the messy, complex, frustrating, and fascinating business of producing manuals.

✦ Table of Contents

Preface to the Third Edition......Page 6
The Authors......Page 8
Acknowledgments......Page 10
Contents......Page 14
List of Figures......Page 16
VALUE OF MANUALS TO A COMPANY......Page 18
Product Liability Document......Page 19
Marketing and Public Relations Document......Page 20
ROLE OF THE TECHNICAL WRITER......Page 21
PLACE OF THE TECHNICAL WRITER: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION......Page 22
A TECHNICAL WRITER’S SURVIVAL SKILLS......Page 23
The Writing Process (As Taught in School)......Page 24
The Solo Writer......Page 25
Team Writing......Page 27
Time: How to Schedule It......Page 28
Information: How To Get It......Page 31
REFERENCES......Page 34
DO PEOPLE REALLY USE MANUALS? YES, BUT…......Page 36
WHAT DO USERS REALLY WANT? WHY CAN’T THEY GET IT? AND SHOULD WE CARE?......Page 38
WHO ARE YOUR USERS? HOW DO YOU KNOW? HOW DO YOU FIND OUT?......Page 39
SPECTRUM OF USERS......Page 40
Professionals......Page 41
General Public......Page 42
Other Characteristics of Users......Page 44
USERS’ QUESTIONS AS MANUAL ORGANIZERS......Page 45
Simulating the User: The Person on the Street......Page 47
Making Manuals Match Users’ Needs......Page 49
User Feedback to Fine-Tune Manuals: An Informal Survey......Page 51
CHECKLIST: USER QUESTIONS AS ORGANIZERS OF THE MANUAL......Page 53
CHECKLIST: USER CHARACTERISTICS......Page 54
REFERENCES......Page 55
MANUALS ARE NOT NOVELS......Page 56
HOW CAN YOU ORGANIZE AND WRITE MANUALS?......Page 57
STRATEGIES THAT WORK......Page 58
Give Cues......Page 59
Build Doors and Ramps......Page 65
Reduce Text......Page 68
Repeat What’s Important — Again......Page 69
REVIEW OF EFFECTIVE WRITING STRATEGIES......Page 70
REFERENCE......Page 81
WRITERS AS DESIGNERS......Page 82
Choosing Publishing Software......Page 83
Design Basics......Page 85
Designing for Use: How People Actually Use Manuals......Page 86
Making Information Easy to Find......Page 88
Making the Manual Look Easy to Read......Page 94
Making the Manual Physically Easy to Use......Page 101
Making the Manual Easy for the Company......Page 103
SUMMARY......Page 104
FURTHER READING......Page 105
WHY USE GRAPHICS?......Page 106
Graphics Convey Information Better......Page 107
Plan Text and Graphics Together......Page 110
Select the Appropriate Type of Graphic......Page 115
Design for Readability......Page 122
NEW USES OF VISUAL MEDIA......Page 134
CD-ROM......Page 135
SUMMARY......Page 136
FURTHER READING......Page 137
OVERVIEW......Page 138
Legal Theories in Product Liability......Page 139
Two Approaches: Protect the Manufacturer or Protect the User......Page 140
Who Must Be Warned?......Page 142
What Must Be Warned Against?......Page 143
Post-Sale Duty to Warn......Page 144
DEVELOPING GOOD WARNINGS FOR YOUR PRODUCT......Page 145
Conducting a Hazard Analysis......Page 146
What Is an Adequate Warning?......Page 148
Standards for Warnings......Page 149
Including Warnings in Manuals......Page 153
Safety Cartoons......Page 154
Products with Components Manufactured by Someone Else......Page 155
CHECKLIST......Page 156
Case Citations......Page 157
OVERVIEW......Page 158
Content and Style......Page 159
Format and Mechanics......Page 163
Graphics......Page 167
Safety......Page 170
CHECKLIST......Page 174
OVERVIEW......Page 176
NEW STANDARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL MANUALS......Page 177
INTERNATIONAL MANUALS: THE USER SPECTRUM EXPANDS......Page 179
PRODUCING TRANSLATED MANUALS......Page 180
Language......Page 181
Nomenclature......Page 182
Culture......Page 183
Choosing Translators......Page 184
Packaging the Translated Manual......Page 188
SUMMARY......Page 191
REFERENCES......Page 199
WHO WRITES THE MANUAL?......Page 200
Choosing the Technical Writer......Page 201
How to Schedule a Documentation Project......Page 204
Monitoring an Ongoing Project......Page 206
Large Companies......Page 207
Small and Intermediate-Size Companies......Page 208
Understanding Internal Dynamics......Page 209
SUMMARY......Page 210
Bibliography......Page 212
Index......Page 214