RE: Usability

[Donald -dot- H -dot- White -at- pmusa -dot- com]

Heidi,

Your website shows a very good example of a maintenance manual. True, the
manual for your company's Ht-146 H Series Thermal Printer is called a "User
Manual," but it has most characteristics of a good hardware maintenance
manual.

There's not a lot of difference between the two species. Organize according
to types of maintenance; include in-line graphics showing particular points
of maintenance and QuickTime movies demonstrating assembly, disassembly,
lubrication, and so forth. Be sure to offer an appendix or chapter for
troubleshooting that includes all know issues and their resolutions, again
with graphics or movies, as appropriate.

Use your company's basic style guide--if the manual I looked at is an
example, it's a good guide. Just remember to change the title to Maintenance
Manual from User Manual.

Good luck!

Don White
Technical Writer
dwhite -at- venturipartners -dot- com

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