[Column] What Does "Easy to Understand" Mean? (1/4)
One common issue with manuals is that "our company's manuals are difficult to understand." Here, I'll share a little bit of know-how to make them easier to understand.
One of the most common issues with manuals is that "the manuals created in-house are difficult to understand." This is a request to have them rewritten to be "easier to understand." Now, the question arises: what does "easy to understand" mean? It is a very vague term, isn't it? I have summarized the requirements for creating a "user-friendly" manual. ■■■ Requirements for "easy to understand"…■■■ 【1】 The chapters of the manual are appropriately organized. The manual should follow the user from the time they acquire the product until the end of its life (except in special cases). The organization of the manual's chapters (table of contents, division of topics, summarization, and order) needs to be structured with consideration for "when and what the user needs to do, and what may occur" during the use of the product. For example, it would be strange if the explanation of "maintenance" came before "operating instructions." (Continued in 2/4)