Instructions Critique: Redesigning a User Guide

Instructions redesign of a travel mug user guide.

Foreword

Below is my redesign of a travel mug user guide. The original guide (and my critique of it) can be found here. This is intended as a quick redesign using simple and free tools like Canva. I undertook this redesign to highlight the simplicity of creating comprehensive and user-friendly instructional material.

Redesigned One-Is-All user guide (below)

Cover page with clear title. Product image added to clearly link the guide to the product, as well as immediately indicating its purpose — an instructions manual. ‘Read before use’ added in bright bold font to grab attention and increase likelihood instructions are followed.

Contents page added to make the guide easier to navigate and to summarise its content sections.

While not every guide requires a ‘key features’ section like this, I believe in this case it allows the user to immediately familiarise themselves with the product. Note: the ‘features’ here are not real and are for visualization purposes only.

An important feature of any user guide or instructions manual is the package contents section. It ensures users know exactly what to expect and will immediately alert them to any missing items. Note: I added the extra lid here to highlight the use of this type of section. It is not clear from the original if this is actually included.

A set of quick and easy to follow steps to guide users on how to get started with the product. Instructions are in clearly labelled, short and simple steps.

Breakdown of the correct day to day use of the product. Again, instructions are clear, concise and simple to follow. Bold font is used to draw attention to key words that can change how an instruction is interpreted. Red font used to clearly distinguish the do’s from the don’ts.

Similar to the previous page in formatting and purpose. Addition of a segmented info box to ensure reader know this is not an instruction, but a piece of relevant info.

FAQs help both the consumer and the company in many ways. The customer can use the FAQ to quickly and easily solve a query, while the company can avoid putting unnecessary stress on its customer service arm. Including contact info on the FAQ page streamlines the guide UX, as it’s the most likely next step for any customers who have not had their query solved by the FAQ.

Simple, short and clear.

No need for excess info or promotions here, just the company address and logo associated with it. Thank you for reading!