INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Who creates what INTRODUCTION My goal

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION Who creates what?

INTRODUCTION My goal for this presentation: ● Help technical writers that need to make decisions in creating better documentation/happier users without losing sight on legal things

INTRODUCTION My goal from this presentation: ● Share our experience by showing the challenges that we encountered and made us decide using text, images or video. ● Provide you with guidelines o help you make better decisions

INTRODUCTION ● ● INSTRKTIV helps companies creating user instructions >2000 manuals We support in the compliance process (CE, UL, EAC etc) Clients: VW, Electrolux, GE, AEG, Schneider Electric, Akzo Nobel

INTRODUCTION ● No structured decision making process ● Tech. Smith/The Content Wrangler request ● Provide guidelines by means of our work for Leitz

CASE STUDY: BACKSTORY ● ● Manuals created by design agency Non-compliance No use of video Print only

CASE STUDY: BACKSTORY ● Sales on Amazon went down ○ Need for clearer instructions ● 2015: Trucks stopped at Portuguese border ○ Need for compliance ● Defining their needs and drafting the problem definition

CASE STUDY: BACKSTORY ● Problem Definition: Is it possible to create compliant and more user friendly user instructions for all the Leitz products? ● Goals: ○ ○ A set of templates and a way of working which gives certainty about passing customs and passing tests 50% less calls at customer support Better product ratings Save 100, 000 Euro on printing costs

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 1 ● Analysing all products ● 2016: Many directives were repealed ● Set of safety instructions for all product groups, template for a QSG, full manual for online publication Insight #1: Video is not possible for print. Check the legal requirements! Insight #2: Use illustrations to save on printing cost for multi-lingual manuals Insight #3: Use illustrations to save on translation costs Insight #4: Use text when there might be any legal consequences

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 2 ● Developed the first instructions for several products ● Request Leitz: additionally develop video Insight #5: Use visuals to support, replace or augment text. Insight #6: Use illustrations for installation instructions. They often do not need text. Insight #7: Use visuals (table) for technical data. Insight #8: Know your budget. Professionally made videos and images can be expensive. Insight #9: Know your skills. Video and illustrations require different expertises. There are great tools that can support you.

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 3 ● Developed >40 instructions ● Software for label printer ○ Insight #10: Use text, if necessary in combination with images, when you expect that the user interface or the physical product design changes often. ● Positioning demonstration ○ Insight #11: Video could be used to complement procedural information with demonstrations of key features and workflows.

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 2

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 3 ● Demonstrating movement ○ Insight #12: Use video when you want to demonstrate movement.

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 3

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 3 ● Reaching your audience ○ Insight #13: When you want to make sure that your user assistance reaches the largest possible audience, video should be your choice.

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 3 ● Other insights ○ ○ ○ Insight #14: It is best to use text (supported by images) when the information needs to be available offline. Insight #15: Adding video helps you explain what the state of something needs to look like. Insight #16: When you need to demonstrate how much force to use, video is your solution.

CASE STUDY: INSIGHTS PART 3 ● Other insights ○ ○ Insight #17: Don’t use video when your user often needs to reference specific information. Use text instead. Insight #18: When users need to remember and reproduce information in a later stage, video would be the right medium.

CONCLUSIONS ● Images and videos may help you to create better documentation. There a few things to keep in mind. ● Tools and tutorials can support you in this. ● Most important is that your user wants a great user experience at every stage of the customer journey. ● It is your responsibility to deliver this! ● After spending all that time on a great product, you also want to give your user a good experience when consulting the user assistance.

GET STARTED NOW ● Questions ● Email for our internal checklist: ferry@instrktiv. com ● Social Media: Ferry Vermeulen or INSTRKTIV