3 Key Points for Creating Easy-to-Read Business Manuals Explained by Field Representatives!

3 Key Points for Creating Easy-to-Read Manuals

To create easy-to-read manuals that people want to read, the following three points are important.

① Improve the initial impression
② Write from the reader's perspective
③ Create headings

1. Improve the overall impression at first glance

A good visual impression can make the reader think, "This manual looks easy to read." Let's consider the following points.

・Add Contrast to the Layout
Make the title text larger and indent the body text to create contrast in the layout. For supplementary notes and warnings, decide on the icons and styles to be used, clearly distinguishing them from the main text. For example, when creating manuals in Word or PowerPoint, it is efficient to determine which styles to use for which information and include them in a template.
However, overusing icons or applying too many colors to the text can lead to an overload of information unrelated to the content, making it difficult to read. Be careful not to over-decorate.

・Create Margins
When text is densely packed, readers may first think, "This looks difficult to read." It's important to create appropriate margins on the page. By creating margins with the right balance, the organization of information becomes clearer, making it easier to reach the necessary information.

- Add Visual Elements
Using diagrams and images helps to facilitate visual understanding. For example, showing an actual image of a form along with examples of how to fill it out will allow for quicker comprehension than explaining it with text alone.
Additionally, presenting information in a tabular format organizes the items and explanations, making them easier to read.

② Write from the reader's perspective

Here are two points to keep in mind when writing from the reader's perspective.

・Make it concise
When long sentences continue, the reader may feel overwhelmed, thinking, "Do I really have to read this to the end...?" Aim to make your writing concise, keeping each sentence to about 40-50 characters for a smoother reading experience.
If explanations become lengthy, it is often because multiple ideas are crammed into one sentence. Review and check your writing, and consider breaking it into several sentences or using bullet points to divide the content. Additionally, texts with too many kanji can also give a difficult impression. A ratio of 3:7 for kanji to hiragana is a good guideline.

・Explain in words that resonate with the reader
To consider content and expressions from the reader's perspective, it is important to concretely imagine the profile of the manual's readers (such as their knowledge level, thinking, and feelings). It may be helpful to think of specific targets, such as new employees who are about to join or junior colleagues in their second year.
When writing a manual, it is easy to want to add a lot of information, thinking, "I want to supplement this" or "I want to explain that." However, if the reader is presented with information that exceeds their knowledge level, they will only become confused and understanding will not progress. Check whether the information is truly necessary for the target audience and ensure that you are not using overly complex expressions, and explain in words that resonate with the reader.

③ Create a heading

Establish headings to clearly define a set of information. Simply listing text makes it difficult to find the desired information.
Readers look for necessary information from the headings. Let's create headings that intuitively convey the content of the main text. For example, when explaining the procedure for heating using a machine, a heading like "Heating" is not as effective as "To Heat." The term "Heating" alone does not clarify whether it explains the mechanism of heating or the method of heating.

Does your manual meet the following points ① to ③?
If you feel there are areas that are lacking, please try to improve those points. You should be able to enhance it into a visually appealing manual that makes readers want to "read it."
If you would like to learn more about manuals that make readers want to "read them," please refer to the blog below.

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The Importance of Formatting in Manual Production - From the Perspectives of Readers and Writers

●Case Study: Denso Corporation
At Denso Corporation, we worked on creating even clearer manuals to ensure that a wide range of users can immediately use the regional information distribution system we provide. In particular, aiming for a "user-friendly manual for the elderly," we revised the content to make it more visually accessible. As a result of adopting a simple design and concrete expressions, we were able to reduce inquiries regarding basic operations.
Denso Corporation Case Study