User Manual Checklist

by M. David Orr

• Is the document written from the user's point of view (as opposed to the developer's)?
• Does the design follow job tasks, not program structure?
• Is information easy to find? Does the document have:
  * Headers or footers, navigation bars, or tabs
  * Table of contents
  * Index using both approved product terminology and alternate terms users might use * Glossary with both approved product terminology and alternate terms users might use
  * Visual cues (see more below)
  * Cross-references or hyperlinks to other, related procedures
• Is each topic and procedure self-contained so the user can perform the procedure without interrupting his/her workflow to go elsewhere?
• Is there a digestible amount of information per page or screen?
  * At least 25% white space
  * No large blocks of text
• Does the document separate conceptual information from step-by-step procedure text?
• The document requires less than one minute of reading before doing?
  * Each procedure requires less than one minute of reading before doing?
  * Each topic can be read in one minute or less?
• Does the document contain appropriate visual cues - areas of high contrast used to call attention to content:
  * Headings
  * Bullets
  * Boldface numbers
  * Arrows and labels
  * Horizontal or vertical lines
  * Illustrations or special graphics
  * Boxes or borders around illustrations
  * Any boldface or underlined type
  * Shaded or specially decorated text on screens
• Accommodates different learning styles
  * Reading
  * Seeing
  * Hearing
  * Writing
  * Touching/doing
  * Concrete examples
  * Abstract concepts
• Format fits the user's environment
  * Size
  * Online/print
  * Software/hardware environment
  * Sound/video appropriate/inappropriate
  * Binding
  * Complexity
  * Coatings (like waterproofing for documents used on a boat)
  * Ease of update