Abundant Mechanical Writing: The User-Product Activity Cycle - A Documentation Thing
The User-Product Activity Cycle (U-PLC) is a able thing for the User File writer. Employ the U-PLC to make the high-level topics for your User File.
THE USER-PRODUCT Activity CYCLE (U-PLC)
Normally, when we anticipate of a Product Activity Cycle, we anticipate in terms of the process and production of the Product itself. When writing User Documentation, accede the U-PLC to advice you make all the topics needed for a all file. User Documentation should help your Users in all of their interactions with the product.
The User-Product Activity Cycle refers to the complete scope of interactions between the User and the Product itself. This is added than simply “how to employ the product.” As you will look below, “Employ the Product” is alone one page in the U-PLC.
STAGES IN THE U-PLC
Here are the stages IN the U-PLC (assuming that the User as acquired the Product):
– U-P LC Page: Transport the Product to its working point
– U-P LC Page: Unpack the Product
Transport and Unpacking of the product are listed here aloof for completeness. These are currently displayed on the packaging itself, normally in pictorial anatomy, and accomplish a acceptable activity.
– U-P LC Page: Overall experience approximately the Product.
This is advice that is presented to the User early in the User Documents.
Topics here comprehend safety, legal, and disclaimers related to the product.
The discription of the product should show how the product may chicken feed the action that the User currently does matters. For archetype, an analog articulation recorder will crave the User to listen to all the stored items to acquisition a specific one; a digital articulation recorder will enable the User to quickly spring from one note to another.
– U-P LC Page: Locate up or Install the Product
* Environments
It is valuable for the writer to anticipate of the several environments where the product will exist. For archetype, how should a machine programme be installed in a Windows, Mac, or Linux world?
“Environments” includes other matters that the product must assignment with. For archetype, how should a DVD player be installed in a process currently composed of a TV and a VCR? How approximately installation to a TV & VCR process where the TV has alone one video input?
* User Capabilities.
The capabilities required for the User to establish the product are again valuable. Because the assumptions related to the User for locate up may be altered from the assumptions approximately the User in using the product, the astute writer will show the skills (and maybe regulations) needed to establish the product. A cut entitled “Can You Locate Up This Product?” will enable the User to accomplish the accommodation approximately if to locate the product up themselves, or acquisition out advice.
For archetype, suppose the product is an electrical blaze dimmer that is intended to change the blaze switch in the User’s at ease. Using the product merely requires adjusting the dimmer’s unmarried ascendancy to locate the desired blaze akin. Installing the product requires familiarity with at ease electrical wiring–does the User accept these capabilities?
Sometimes, the limitation may be legal. In some jurisdictions — Quebec, Canada, for archetype — alone able electricians are permitted to install or change electrical circuits in the at ease. Thus in Quebec, the common User of the dimmer will not be able to (legally) install the blaze dimmer.
– U-P LC Page: Employ the Product
This component is the bull’s eye of most User Documentation. It should include at least these three sub-topics:
- Starting the product
- Actual Employ of the product
For most products “Actual Employ” is the central bull’s eye of the User File.
Ideally, this should be divided into basic or general product functions, and new functions. A acceptable archetype is photo-editing software. Most Users desire to crop, rotate, and adjust the brightness and contrast of the angel. These are basic functions. Added new functions might be combining the parts of one picture with another.
- Shutting down the product
Is there any continuation to be done at shut down? File it here and in the “Advance” cut.
– U-P LC Page: Advance the Product
Accede breaking this down into age periods, such as: after each employ, weekly, monthly, yearly, as relevant.
– U-P LC Page: Act the Product
For a machine software programme, how the User should act the programme and its information to another machine; machine users generally upgrade their machine hardware. While it is generally assumed that the User should re-install the product on the fresh machine, there always is the catechism approximately moving the information related to the product: where is it located, and how should it be moved so the newly-installed programme can know it on the fresh machine?
For a physical product, are there any appropriate considerations in moving the Product to another point?
– U-P LC Page: Discard the Product or its By-Products
Here I would love to mention alone selling the used product. It might be astute to mention that by care the User Book, the seller may acquisition it easier to sell, and maybe amuse a higher value, for the used product.
USING THE U-PLC IN YOUR WRITING
As you make the topics for your User File accomplish certain that you accumulate the U-PLC in apperception. Arrange that you comprehend topics in your User File Outline to help your User in all phases of the U-PLC.
Abundant User Documents can help in the UP-LC cut that I did not show here: acquisition of the product. Your marketing branch may be able to employ your Abundant User File as thing of its marketing crusade.