It’s true when they say people don’t read.
People are busy, they don’t have time to read through hundreds of pages of how-to’s in your knowledge base, no matter how many you’ve written for them.
I don’t even read IKEA user manuals (and as my father would say, read the f*cking manual!)
Over the years I have created various product help resources, so I thought I’d write a little something about how to optimize your own documentation so that it’s actually helpful (and hopefully, people will actually start reading!)
If you want your docs to get read, here’s how to get started 👇
TLDR, in case you choose to not read 😂
- Rule 1: Stop calling it a “User Manual”
- Rule 2: Focus on the problem
- Rule 3: Support documents are not there to replace your UX
- Rule 4: Offer learning alternatives
- Rule 5: Set up a document structure
- Rule 6: Avoid image debt
- Rule 7: Make help accessible
- Rule 8: Documentation is not static
Rule 1: Stop calling it a “User Manual”
Nobody reads those.
Words matter, so if you want to get people to read stuff and help themselves, focus on making what they’re reading a little bit more attractive and less soul-sucking.
Alternative ways of framing this:
- Support documentation
- Help documentation
- Product knowledge
Whatever you do, stop calling it a ‘user manual.’ That would make anyone die inside.
Rule 2: Focus on the problem
Cool, so now that you have a more attractive name for your support docs, let’s focus on why you’re writing them in the first place.
In the past I have managed all education and help materials as a product with its own dedicated roadmap, which helps me understand:
- What I am doing
- Why I am doing it
- Who it benefits
