Infographics®

2011-03-23T15:23:00.000-04:00

3 Most Feared Words in Product Marketing

View more presentations from infographics

Holiday Greetings from Infographics

2010-12-03T14:40:00.000-05:00

Gratitude for a Winning Partnership

2010-11-24T13:59:00.001-05:00

I’ve had a great career in the graphic design and communication industry. And now, I have fulfilled a dream of owning my own business—along with a great business partner and friend—that is staffed with really bright and nice people.

I spent years designing pieces and campaigns that were clever and aesthetic, and perhaps even a bit uniquely creative from time to time. Now I’m in the business of creating pragmatic solutions that visually communicate information people can actually use, need and appreciate. Our company specializes in communicating “how-to” information, mostly for major manufacturers of consumer products. Our small, but talented, team of information designers creates practical, yet aesthetic, visuals that are logically organized and targeted for the user, either in print, online or any medium.

Sure, I miss the creative flair and cache of marketing and advertising pieces. The kudos you get doing WOW graphics and glamorous photo shoots. But now I’m doing work the real consumer in me missed having for years and years—technical communication products (instructions, user manuals) that the typical consumer (like me) can understand and use.

As a consumer, I often lost the joy of buying a new product once I opened the box. Why? I became frustrated with myself because the instructions left me feeling inadequate and…well, just too stupid to understand how to use, assemble or care for my brand new purchase! Information and data were given to me, sometimes in massive amounts, all assuming I should be able to follow it, understand it and enjoy my purchase. Sound familiar?

Many times it took me forever to understand the instructions. I wasn’t able to use my product immediately or actually USE all the features. Or even worse, I would put it together wrong and then reassemble it, wasting more time! I felt like a loser. In time, I came to the conclusion, “It’s NOT ME; it’s THEM!” Themmeaning the manufacturer, the product engineers, the technical writers, the product managers, and the CEOs, who refused to recognize the need to translate their proprietary data and languages into simple language that would actually communicate on my level as a consumer.

They were what I referred to as Product Elitist (OK, and worse) who really wanted to make me feel stupid while they used their internal knowledge and vocabulary to punish me and to demonstrate their superiority! And adding insult to injury, I paid money for the suffering. I bought into the marketing and didn’t return the products to avoid my own humiliation from my inability to understand the data! Aarrgh!!! And as I continued to create my own conspiracy theory against me—these same elitist, kept their jobs because no one in their organization was brave enough to admit or point out—THEY couldn’t understand them either!! As long as they could sell it and I was buying—they were OK with my suffering. That was my conspiracy theory and by God…I was sticking with it!

So, when I got the chance, I went into the business of trying to show them the errors of their ways, and guess what their first objection was? How much it cost! Providing documentation, instructions and helpful information their customers could understand, as a customer service, seemed to them TOO EXPENSIVE. Despite the fact it was a mere fraction of their marketing and advertising budgets to SELL us the goods and make us suffer through their proprietary jibber-jabber after the sale.

So, our little team began making our case on the value of doing a better job of communicating to customers in terms THEY could understand. Our case was based on reducing customer service calls, having fewer returns, and creating a loyal customer base that would buy more of products because of an improved ownership experience…things like that. Product manufacturers started, and continue, to come around thanks to my team’s hard work convincing them of the value of improved product information, companies seeing positive results…andan economy that tanked.

Yes, one good thing from the economy tanking is happening. Now that people have to spend their money more judiciously. They want MORE for their purchases. They want to be able to USE all the features. They want to ENJOY their new purchases faster with fewer hassles AFTER they take it out of the box. They want to LEARN about their products and not feel stupid trying to understand it. It really shouldn’t have been considered too much to ask for. But when times are good, hey what the heck, you can sell something for the label alone, right? We were glad to see some consumers finally woke up and manufacturers started caring.

Now that I’ve got this off my chest, I have a confession. I work with the very people I’ve sounded off about—and I LIKE working with them! My business and I depend on them for their expertise, input, and support. They are our partners and I respect their knowledge and enjoy their involvement. They’re vital to our success as a business and to the products we produce to communicate technical information specifically for the end-users.

Our goal is to EARN our clients’ respect and confidence by not completely recreating or glossing over their work or altering the accuracy and details required of it. Our job is to translate and communicate that information accurately and logically so that the masses can understand it, learn from it, and benefit from it.

Once that’s accomplished, the product development people that I once thought were conspiring against my fellow consumers and me, appreciate that we made sure all the work they put into their product and sweated over to develop for years is both used and appreciated by many more people. Then, a winning partnership between two very different disciplines is accomplished and everyone—from the people who invented and engineered the products, to the regular guy like me, who buys them—benefits.

Jim Kughler is general manager and president for Knoxville, Tennessee-based Infographics, a pioneer and leader in the development of innovative post-purchase product communications tools for consumer goods manufacturers. Jim began his career as a graphic designer after graduating from Indiana University. His 22 years of experience has covered the entire gamut of creative communications. From a graphic designer, to the manager of an in-house corporate graphic design studio he has experienced the process of corporate communications and marketing from the inside. From a sales representative in the emerging electronic age of printing and prepress in the 80’s to the late 90’s, to a director of sales over two teams in two states, Jim has spent his career providing design, sales and creative production consulting services to national brands such as: Philips, Magnavox, Philco, Sylvania, Rubbermaid, Yale, Sara Lee, Coca-Cola, TVA, Exxon-Mobil, Maytag, Meridian, Maxim, Trophy and Bayliner.

2010-11-05T11:39:00.000-04:00

We agree with a recent time is money study by Accenture, but think their experts overlooked one important topic—effective and efficient product instructions.

Here’s a portion of what Accenture’s report had to say:

Businesses that thoughtfully examine and measure the time customers spend with them, and then either reduce the time costs or enhance the time value of their offerings, can gain an advantage that will continue when the economy recovers. For companies looking to win over today’s more frugal customers, a focus on the value of time comes not a moment too soon.

Time, as they say, is money.

And no more so than in today’s tough economic environment: Companies find themselves in a bind, unable to find new ways to meet the customer’s relentless demand for lower costs and higher value. Is there a way out?

Yes. Accenture research and experience suggests that marketers can quickly enhance their offerings to make them both less costly and more attractive if they focus on time—specifically, on respecting or improving the value of their customers’ time, across the entire marketing lifecycle.

Accenture’s research focused primarily on manufacturers’ timesaving innovations (like Viking Range Corporation who offers a high-speed convection oven that cooks a five-pound chicken in 28 minutes) and even the manner in which customers shopped for products (online versus self-service checkouts, etc.), yet they overlooked one aspect of the marketing lifecycle that has big time-draining potential. That is, what actually takes place after the purchase, i.e., the real “out-of-the-box” experience?

You’ve heard the horror stories. Nightmares related to assembly or installation projects, especially with flat-pack furniture or toys during the holidays. Manufacturers now have a reliable resource to help circumvent customers’ wasted time and frustration when it comes to RTA or DIY products. Infographics, the pioneer and leader in the development of innovative post-purchase product communications for consumer goods, has years of experience helping companies build better instruction manuals. Their innovative and proprietary process has proven that logically written and well-illustrated instructions make all the difference when it comes to avoiding potential customer frustration and dissatisfaction with a product or brand.

So what does this have to do with the time is money theory? Infographics believes that spending more time up front developing clear, concise and complete instructions leads to less time spent by the consumer during the assembly or installation process resulting in a more positive ownership experience. Additionally, Infographics believes that offering well-designed quick start, reference guides, and troubleshooting charts that include step-by-steps and visuals is another time accelerator for improving ownership experiences.


Wordless Instructions by Infographics

Infographics uses sequential drawings—not photographs—with as few words as possible, to produce easy-to-follow instructions. Each process is analyzed—frequently by assembling and disassembling products in the company's lab—to determine the consumers’ communication needs. Logical organization, better graphics and illustrations and less verbiage result in better understanding and less time required by consumers trying to read the instructions.


Quick Reference Guide by Infographics

At Infographics we believe that a focus on the value of time when it comes to product instructions can provide a significant competitive advantage that more companies will need to recognize in order to keep pace in this “new normal” economy.

More Tips for Delivering "Best in Class" Instructions

2010-10-20T11:17:00.000-04:00

Get to the point quickly and concisely.
As the complexity of products continually increases, customers are placing the burden to explain how to use, maintain, and service products at the feet of manufacturers. Rather than instead of investing in professional communicators, this task is often left to the product engineer. Bear in mind that providing instructions or manuals to Joe Q. Public written in “engineer-speak” will most likely result in a frustrated customer.

Recognize documentation development is a crucial part of the product development lifecycle.
Interestingly, this is a marked departure from past practices in which documentation was addressed at the tail end of product development. As a general rule, it seems that product development schedules are seldom met. Therefore, if documentation is being addressed at the end of the development cycle, the need to introduce the product to market as quickly as possible can result in sacrifices in the planning and execution of the instructions. The best in class companies are incorporating documentation as another piece of the product development process allowing time for proper evaluation and analysis of the best manner to communicate to the end-user.

Visually communicate critical product information instead of forcing customers to read lengthy text.
Yes, it’s true. A picture is worth a thousand words. Data from our research confirmed more people understand concise, image based instructional or educational material than text-heavy collateral materials and engineering based images. Best in class companies recognize that visually based communication tools can decrease technical support and customer service calls as well as reduce product return rates. In addition, companies are realizing a reduction in the time and cost of localization because communicating with graphics instead of words reduces the amount of text there is to localize.

Are you ready to join the “best in class” companies when it comes to your product instructions and documentation? If so, call on the expertise of the team at Infographics.

Simple Product Instructions Make All the Difference

2010-10-13T14:55:00.000-04:00

Rob Eddy, principal at Infographics, offers tips for improving instructions In 15-plus years of working closely with product designers, engineers and quality assurance professionals in many consumer-product industries, I’ve found that a critical factor affecting manufacturers’ success rests with how they value consumer opinions.

One oft forgotten but pivotal aspect of consumers’ product experience centers on instruction manuals for assembly, use and maintenance – or, what many people have grown to dread as incomprehensible directions that, in theory, are supposed to make a product work.

How many of us have struggled to the point of total frustration with archaic instructions offering no help whatsoever with a new product we’ve just purchased and anxiously await to use? The experience is practically universal – just ask any parent who has struggled until 4 a.m. Christmas morning with a child’s “some assembly required” toy.

The fact this consumer nightmare is so commonplace should tell all of us in product development fields that many companies are doing something wrong . . . specifically, failing to make a consumer’s initial product experience an enjoyable one.

Why should companies take notice? Consider these realities:

Companies that offer clear, concise and well-written product instructions (also known as “post-purchase” communications tools) generally experience fewer product returns. Conversely, customers faced with poor instruction manuals sometimes decide that assembling a complicated product is not worth their trouble and demand their money back. (As a matter of fact, I worked with one company that was struggling with a 50 percent non-defective return rate because consumers could not understand how to install and use its product.)
Manufacturers also reap benefits of lower customer call center demand when product communications provide inclusive information. In addition, good assembly and usage instructions offer a solid foundation for consumers and customer service agents to communicate – facilitating smoother and clearer support.
For a company’s legal department, fewer product liability claims due to injury or poor performance arise when consumers correctly assemble, use and maintain their new purchase.
In dealing with products distributed to international markets, manufacturers can also realize lower translation costs and less confusion across cultural boundaries when they employ proper use of universal symbols and understandable graphics.
An improved brand perception often follows any company that makes the consumer’s assembly experience an easy and “painless” one. That brand perception can have residual effects, such as a consumer’s desire to purchase other products of the same brand or to recommend a brand’s products to friends.
Better product instructions typically result in much better ownership experiences, which, at the end of the day, can easily parlay into increased sales, higher profitability and greater market share.

So how can companies evaluate their product instruction performance from the consumer’s vantage point and make necessary improvements? Several steps facilitate the process:

Determine the appropriate department and specific manager(s) within your company to guide product communications. Frequently, tight product launch schedules and a lack of clearly defined responsibility can lead to hastily developed post-purchase communications tools. Establishing ownership for the development of these components can make a significant difference.
Communicate internally with other managers and functions to gain buy-in across departments. Quality assurance and customer service functions most often deal with shortcomings in the area of “post-purchase” communications. However, these functions seldom lend input on creating these tools; instead, usually product development, marketing and/or engineering drive instruction manual development. By establishing cross-functional teams and collecting multiple perspectives interdepartmentally, companies can enhance product manuals significantly.
Research how your product’s instruction manual currently performs by collecting direct customer feedback (i.e. product registration cards, product packaging inserts, customer call center questionnaires, etc.). Evaluate factors like readability, quality of illustration, accuracy of instruction, whether or not the entire informational piece is “intimidating” (too much complex information) or inadequate (not enough information to be useful). Focus groups can also provide a wealth of insight. If possible, try to compare your product’s informational performance with those of competitors’ products.
Establish metrics that will allow you to measure and quantify the results of making improvements, such as volume/content of call center inquiries, reasons cited for product returns, litigation cases attributed to “faulty design” that may have originated as assembly/maintenance issues not addressed adequately in product literature, etc.
Consider working with a third-party design expert specializing in consumer product communications, via both written copy and graphic illustration/design. Check the company’s references for a track record of performance with large consumer brand names, highly technical products and multicultural communications.

While the notion of providing understandable product instructions to consumers is a simple idea, it’s not necessarily a simple process. That’s probably why so few companies achieve it consistently. However, for those that do, the benefits can manifest themselves from the retail line to the bottom line, with big cost savings and revenue enhancements for companies that make the effort.

Rob Eddy is vice president of marketing for Knoxville, Tennessee-based Infographics, a pioneer and leader in the development of innovative post-purchase product communications tools for consumer goods manufacturers. A 1986 University of Wisconsin graduate, Eddy’s broad experience includes marketing communications, product development, product line management and brand management with major national brands such as Bemis, Rubbermaid, Rolodex, Eldon, Newell, Haworth, and United Chair.

Infographics Celebrates 15th Anniversary

2010-10-04T11:17:00.001-04:00

Infographics celebrated our 15th year of improving technical design, illustration, animation and publishing with an informal Anniversary Open House at our office last Friday evening. We thought we'd share a few snapshots from the evening and extend our sincere appreciation to our clients and friends who joined us for the celebration. Here's to 15 more years!

New Infographics Banner Ad

2010-09-15T14:44:00.000-04:00

Here's a look at the new Infographics banner ad as seen on Product Design and Development's website www.pddnet.com

Case Study: PIPS Technology Production Line Graphics

2010-08-25T16:27:00.000-04:00

PIPS Technology is an industry leader in the development and manufacture of ALPR (Automated License Plate Recognition) systems. Their broad range of ALPR products provide the next generation of information technology for Travel Time Measurement, Law Enforcement, Tolling, Congestion Charging, Access Control, Traffic Monitoring and Automated Site Security Solutions. PIPS products are manufactured to ISO 9001:2000 standards.

PIPS TECHNOLOGY originally recruited a team of knowledgeable, highly skilled production people to get the production lines working efficiently and keep them focused on quality. PIPS wanted to maintain those attributes no matter how many more people they added to their production staff. They also wanted to take steps to assure the same level of performance and productivity, with a goal to improve both. Realizing that new line workers did not have the experience and insider-knowledge advantages of their initial crew, the PIPS production team wanted to provide every advantage they could to help the new workers achieve those qualities as quickly as possible.

Infographics approached PIPS with the idea of using production line graphics - an easy, visual reference tool and aide for each workstation and worker. On-site references would help in the retention of critical assembly information and avoid costly assembly mistakes.

OBJECTIVES

PIPS management wanted to make sure the quality of their manufacturing remained, as well as, their control over materials costs.
Identify the most critical, and potentially costly mistakes that could be made in the process to address with visual aids.
Use wordless graphics to present the steps and make them easy to view and understand, as well as addressing any future language barriers of a more diversified population of workers.
PIPS needed the new stations up and running as quickly as possible.

Infographics® APPROACH
Infographics toured the plant and made notes on the environment we found and the opportunities we saw to effectively present information to the assembly line audience. PIPS Technology had documented all the production steps and created temporary manuals for training, but they weren't completely convinced they were going to be an effective reference for the expansion of workstations, the new workers, or daily use.

Infographics implemented our own learning process by taking a hands-on approach. A member of our information design staff went through all the assembly process using the actual parts and tools to better understand the final product and to help our client identify the most critical and costly chances for mistakes. Infographics concluded that small full-color posters could be displayed strategically throughout the production areas to address the most "critical" steps.

Infographics presented a list of proposed visuals and together with the PIPS key production personnel concluded that we could address just two critical steps in the assembly of these products and create potential time and cost savings.

infographics® SOLUTION

Develop wordless assembly steps and the graphics in poster form to give workers the information they need at a glance.
Create a template for future applications that addresses four critical categories:

Orientation: An image or images that assure the worker he has the right part and is using it in the correct orientation for the assembly
Parts: These images give the workers a visual check point for the parts needed.
Assembly: Simple visual directions broken down into simple step-by -steps when necessary.
Details: Simple reference to key details for clarity.

For more information, please visit info-graphics.com or call 865-588-9888.

Infographics' Poster Series...Clarify

2010-07-14T10:43:00.000-04:00

Infographics' poster series...Improve.

2010-05-27T15:17:00.000-04:00

Are bad instructions worse than no instructions?

2010-05-04T10:46:00.000-04:00

Have unclear directions ever made you want to bang your head against a wall? Perhaps while putting together pre-fabricated furniture? Or a gas grill? Or installing a swing set?

We want to know your thoughts...are bad instructions worse than no instructions? Please post your comments here.

Infographics' poster series...Instruct.

2010-04-20T16:10:00.001-04:00

A little verification that what we do at Infographics matters

2010-03-24T14:57:00.002-04:00

This past year Infographics had the opportunity to work with a new client to redesign installation instructions for one of their existing products. Before moving forward with another project, the company wanted to validate the work we did and determine if the investment was a good one. Today—almost a year since we delivered the first project—we received this email asking for our help. Needless to say, we're absolutely thrilled to know that this company recognizes the value of their investment and partnership with Infographics when it comes to technical communications.

From our client:

We recently completed some observational research with consumers and professionals to see how they install our product and the results were conclusive: We need better manuals!!!

Here are the takeaways from our research:
Use consumer friendly terms

Include more detailed diagrams/illustrations and exploded view images

Design with larger fonts

Define symbols and icons

Use more white space, less clutter

Review installation sequence and steps

Consider preferences/needs of both “left-brained” and “right-brained” individuals

At Infographics we pride ourselves in being left brain and right brain thinkers. With our left brains we evaluate and analyze the project’s specific needs, putting information in a sequential and logical order. Then we employ our right brains to visualize the whole project and process the information in an intuitive manner. We tailor our proven process and techniques for each project's specific needs. Our thorough and consistent approach results in clear, concise and complete instructions. And we're happy to know that this client agrees.

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

2010-02-22T11:38:00.001-05:00

You simply can't afford to stick your head in the sand when it comes to product instructions, especially in this economy. Product returns and unnecessary customer service calls are more expensive than calling on our expertise.

infographics® -- it's more than a name, it's what we do. Our firm was founded on our personal experiences as consumers, product developers, and communications professionals who consistently found technical product communications inadequate and confusing. Data from our research confirmed more people understand concise, image-based instructional material than text-heavy collateral material.

At infographics^® we believe that well-executed communications do more than just translate an idea; they provide a foundation for understanding. infographics^® instructions, animations, training tools and product communications bridge language and educational barriers. We help our customers communicate complex information and facilitate understanding.

Who wants to take time to read the directions? Let's just play!

2010-02-10T12:54:00.007-05:00

A few years ago, Infographics was asked to do a complete redesign of the playing instructions and develop a new Quick Start Guide for Hasbro's popular family game, CLUE. We take our jobs seriously, so in the spirit of good project analysis and evaluation, our employees spent an afternoon playing--I mean--working.

Whether it's a Quick Start Guide for a home appliance, a piece of machinery, or even a board game, the key to communicating relevant information with your intended audience is to literally put yourself in their shoes.

And that's what we do at Infographics. We play games, we install appliances, we take products apart and put them back together...all in order to deliver instructions that are easy-to-understand and applicable for the intended audience.

The goal of the new CLUE Quick Start Guide was to communicate the game summary and objectives (basically the Who, What, Where, and When) as well as the set-up and overview of basic game play rules. Realizing that simply playing the game often trumps reading lengthy explanations, we added "case file" headers and visuals in order to quickly share with players how to set-up, play, and win the game. The more serious players could refer to the Strategy Guide in the complete instructions for more detailed information.

Infographics' Client is Jumping into ABC's Shark Tank

2010-01-27T13:44:00.008-05:00

Knoxville businesswoman and Infographics' client Jill Quillin will appear on Friday's episode of ABC's reality series "Shark Tank." Quillin is the developer of LipStix Remix, which allows someone to mix colors and make a new tube of lipstick or combine old used tubes into one new full size tube.

On the reality show, Quillin approached a panel of well-established entrepreneurs, asking them to invest in her company. Quillin cannot say how her meeting went, although it will play out on national television this week. "I feel like I accomplished the world," Quillin said. "I was taking a risk just by getting in there. I was just thankful when I went through the door (to meet the panel)."

A little over two years ago, Quillin barely had the product completed when she started focusing on the instructions and contacted Infographics for help. "I knew the instructions would be critical to the success of customers keeping the product once they received it," stated Quillin. "After working so hard to acquire my customer, I knew a well-designed instruction sheet would be the best possible hope for my customers to stay 'in-love' with the product and have a positive experience using it."

Infographics' response: Whoever said that instructions have to be boring? Sometimes style is a significant consideration - even when it comes to instructions. According to Sara Christensen, Infographics' creative director, "we developed a two-tone retro look that was a major component of the design language for this project. Jill had a definite style of her own and we felt that style needed to be reflected in all communications related to her unique product."

"Infographics delivered in every aspect (design, copy, illustrations, etc.) and I can report that I have not had one return out of 1,000 systems sold to date!" said Quillin. "As an added bonus, the money I invested in my instruction sheet converted into a savings when I set up my company website as all the beautiful illustrations Infographics created were a perfect fit for my home page."

For What It’s Worth, Jim’s Two-Cents

2010-01-22T09:40:00.002-05:00

It's my observation that too many product manufacturers whose market consists of a demographic of 50+ years of age, are ignoring an important and critical need: Simpler easy-to-see, easy-to-use and understand product documentation!

According to the U.N. Program on Aging, one in ten people worldwide is now 60 years and older. By 2050, one in five will be 60 or older—and in more developed regions, it will be one in three. Even with increased social awareness of the need to serve an aging population, many companies still fail to understand how marketing specific information to better accommodate this population and making simple design changes can greatly accommodate older consumers.

Simpler easy-to-see, easy-to-use and understand product documentation IS a real need and too many product manufacturers cashing in on this growing demographic, are ignoring it!

I contend that a manufacturer of products for the older population could actually gain market share by having product documentation designed with their needs in mind by using it as a bonus product feature in their marketing. I say this not only because Infographics could help these companies, but because it hits home with me personally in dealing with aging parents and in dealing with age…"ahem"…myself!

- Jim Kughler, GM at Infographics

For further reading on this topic, check out this article by Brand Channel: Engaging the Aging, Marketing to Europe’s Seniors.

Recent recalls on “How-To” home improvement books got us thinking.

2010-01-18T15:49:00.004-05:00

Maybe you heard about the massive recall last week of 951,000 home improvement books by Oxmoor House, Inc. due to errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers. Since we’re in the instruction business, this news obviously caught our attention and got us thinking that perhaps most manufacturers and publishers don’t factor “recalls” into their product profitability projections.

It also prompted us to do a quick internet search to see if any other instructions had been recalled. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, just a year prior 64,000 Wiring a House instructional books published by Taunton Press were recalled for the very same reasons. Additionally, within the past year 18,000 illuminated round rocker switches sold by RadioShack Corp., were recalled because the wiring diagram on the switch’s package showed the neutral and line notation was reversed, posing a shock hazard to consumers. Stamina Products recalled 11,000 elliptical machines and modified the warning/assembly instructions in the owner’s manuals to emphasize that the elliptical pedal shafts must be securely tightened to the cranks. If not securely tightened, the pedal shafts could become loose from the cranks, which could result in serious injury to the user.

Our experience has shown that many companies fail to calculate, track or, even consider the cost of the risks they take by under-valuing the importance of the quality of their instructions. Risks that can take away those profits (for instance by recalls, unnecessary customer service calls) and result in the loss of market share, and more.

Many of our potential clients simply don’t budget enough money or time for their instructions (they seem to be an “afterthought” in the product development and launch schedule) and opt to spend the bulk of their money on sales support material. We understand that they are in the business to make money and selling the products is paramount to that concept. On the flip side, recalls like these are just one of many financial risks of underestimating the value of producing accurate and comprehensive instructions.

Why these particular instances happened and how these folks address it in the future must be identified before they can be avoided. It’s possible these “mistakes” stem from the lack of quality control and accuracy check points or the lack of physical testing of the instructions by actual users to verify them as accurate and safe.

Instruction manuals (and how-to books) continue to be, for many manufacturers, a requirement on which they invest a minimal amount of their product’s cost. For these publishers, the problem may have stemmed from common assumptions—the content and copy were fact-checked and proofread for spelling and grammar—the illustrators followed the experts' lead—therefore it must be right.

So what’s the answer? Hire the instruction experts? Partner with Infographics and they’ll do everything flawlessly? Now that’s a pretty big claim, and not one that many humans can or should make. What Infographics can offer are processes and collaborative ideas to substantially LOWER the risks of mistakes. We first recognize who the “content expert” is and it’s seldom us. Our niche is creating the means to communicate to other “non-experts”. We respect the manufacturer, engineer, product designer, scientist, inventor, researcher or writer (content experts) who provide the facts. We then respectfully challenge them and their content IF we don’t understand it ourselves right away. Combined with our skills in creating effective visual and verbal instructions, we can substantially lower the risks of mistakes.

Yes, we realize the experts know more than we do about their product/content, but WE need to understand it on our level to effectively communicate it to the audience who, like us, often does not have the expertise of the manufacturers and engineers. Once the content experts and our team come to an understanding based on our mutual respect of what we both do, the process begins.

We collaborate and create content for the end-users they can relate to and understand, and not necessarily in the way our experts can relate to all the time. To assure accuracy, both sides (experts/Infographics) stay intimately involved in making sure the content is accurate no matter how it is communicated—continuously pushing back on each other to make the information clear and accurate.

For the best results, we have our solutions checked by giving the instructional piece to a sampling of the targeted audience (by far the most important people in our process) to try to use and then critique.

The bottom line: Lowering the risks of recalls or injuries takes an investment too few are willing to make upfront. These recent recalls are examples of what NOT making adequate investments in instructions can cost for those who don’t.

Identifying moving parts and communicating motion with Infographics®

2010-01-05T10:24:00.003-05:00

This week’s entry picks up on the concept introduced in our previous post—see Actually, it is brain surgery below—of using color to identify moving parts and communicate motion. Infographics developed a new quick reference guide for GE Healthcare that contains a series of sequence illustrations demonstrating set-up and basic functional processes. The reference step shown here was also included to quickly communicate different areas of articulation for the cranial clamp. These adjustments allow users to precisely position the patient for delicate surgical procedures. By using color and arrows, users get a quick visual reference to aide in making fine adjustments—which are critical in this application.

Quick reference guides have become a specialty of ours—communicating key information in a concise and visually-based form can make the difference between a positive experience and frustration.

Infographics demonstrates technology through animation.

2009-12-14T09:55:00.009-05:00

It can often be difficult for consumers to understand and see the value of new technology—especially if that technology is largely inside the product. Bosch Power Tools had developed new Full Force technology that made their upcoming line of pneumatic nailers more compact and more powerful. Recognizing that communicating the features of the Full Force Technology product line created its own challenges, Bosch partnered with Infographics to develop a short side-by-side animation to compare Bosch’s new technology to conventional products. The Infographics’ animation highlights enhanced features as well as performance of the new pneumatic technology.

Actually, it is brain surgery.

2009-11-18T10:42:00.007-05:00

No, we're not surgeons, but partnering with our client GE Healthcare, Infographics recently developed a quick reference guide for advanced surgical suite equipment. In this example, we're communicating steps involved in using a cranial clamp and other surgical equipment for delicate brain surgery. The use of color assures our clients' audience can quickly recognize the importance of each part involved while using this complex medical product. The quick reference guide serves as a visual reference to surgical teams by clearly and concisely differentiating critical parts in each step used in prepping patients for these delicate surgical procedures. More to follow on this subject…

Infographics' creates audience-focused solutions

2009-11-10T15:59:00.006-05:00

Technical Controls needed new instructions for their audience of skilled maintenance personnel installing Sani-Cell products in public restrooms. This audience rarely has the time or patience to explore instructions full of a lot of words jammed in around spotty illustrations.

The knowledge and experience of these end-users, combined with a limited amount of space for copy large enough to be helpful on-site, provided an opportunity for Technical Controls and Infographics to offer a wordless solution of detailed visual steps.

Based on the profiles of this audience, we concluded that they would find it more useful if the product information was presented as a simpler, more visual sequence of steps to follow. Making the product instructions a more effective reference that improves their retention of the process, and creating a valuable resource for the typical multiple product installation projects.

Infographics® Who's Who

2009-11-05T13:10:00.004-05:00

Team Member: Matt Smelcer

Position: Information Design Specialist

Alma Mater: East Tennessee State University, Industrial Design major

Hometown: Kingsport, TN

Family: Wife, Leslie, and 2 dogs, Daisy and Reesie

Favorite Quote: The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Quirky Fact: I collect and customize vintage action figures. (Note: photo of Matt as Flash at JoeCon 2007, the International G.I. Joe Collectors Convention.)

When I’m not working I like to: Tinker with and fix anything

Specialties: Leveraging CAD and 3D data

Key Project: Viking Range Corporation Planning & Design Guide –project leader for Viking’s design and specification tool that includes product group features overview, basic installation information and specification pages showing different views of each product along with all relevant dimensions and specifications.

Our Strength is Our Team

2009-10-23T10:17:00.003-04:00

Not your average design studio, we like to refer to the Infographics' team members as information engineers. Our team is comprised of a unique blend of right brain creative talent and left brain technical aptitude. Add to this our personal experience as consumers, product developers, and communications professionals, and you get a team that understands technical product communications can be inadequate and confusing.

Combined, all this makes us a strong partner for any business with technical information to communicate with their customers. So if you'd like to get to know us a little better, stay tuned to our blog. We'll be posting the first in a series of team member profiles here on Monday.

Infographics Step of the Day - Medical

2009-09-28T14:49:00.004-04:00

Today’s example was developed for our friends at Bodypoint to show their Leg Harness wheelchair accessory in action in a way that demonstrated the proper fit around the patient’s leg. According to our client, past images made this device look like a groin strap, similar to the pelvic portion of a skydiving harness. By using ghosting techniques, Infographics was able to demonstrate how the Leg Harness holds each leg at the inner thigh, to provide resistance to pelvic rotation and obliquity, without limiting anterior movement or pressing on the bladder.

Infographics Step of the Day - Electrical Sequences

2009-09-17T10:10:00.003-04:00

Wiring and electrical sequences can be some of the most challenging and complex to communicate – especially since there are so many variables involved. Today’s step is from an appliance installation guide developed for our friends at Viking Range Corporation. In this case several wiring options were shown and one key challenge was clearly identifying wire colors when working with a black and white format. The primary objective was to focus on safety and be as clear as possible to avoid confusion which could lead to costly and time consuming mistakes.

Infographics Step of the Day - United Chair

2009-09-15T09:18:00.002-04:00

OK – be honest… how many of you have an office chair and you don’t know how all of those levers and adjustments work? Honestly? Today’s steps were developed for our friends at United Chair to help address that problem. In this case, we suggested that instead of showing the chair from the side – as is customary – we show it from above to better communicate the controls the way the user will access them. This approach communicated function and interface so well that it was incorporated into point-of-purchase hang-tags to help identify key features and functions.

Infographics Step of the Day - Lost in Translation

2009-09-08T12:37:00.004-04:00

Hello folks! We’re back after a brief end-of-summer hiatus. Today some fun – it appears that the intent here was to avoid falls, but some things are easy to lose in translation. This serves as a reminder that it’s very important to validate your work and be sure to check translations for accuracy!

Infographics Step of the Day - Hands

2009-08-18T09:50:00.000-04:00

Today’s theme – HANDS. As we’ve mentioned in previous entries, it’s often important to show users how to interact with parts and components when assembling or using a product. Using hands (rather than just arrows) to show details about how to handle products can make it much easier for users to understand important sequences. In this case, we use hands specifically to show how to grasp and squeeze parts to engage or release components. This sequence was developed for our friends at OXO who are particularly focused on the user experience with their products.

Infographics Step of the Day - Plumbing Part II

2009-08-10T15:07:00.012-04:00

Continuing on our plumbing theme...Today’s step demonstrates how a toilet functions by comparing new plumbing technology to conventional technology, specifically showing how the lever actuates the flush valve and flapper. This step was later turned into an animation embedded in PowerPoint presentation and used in training plumbers. By showing the conventional toilet functioning on the left hand side it’s much easier to understand how the new technology from our friends at Geberit works. Carefully planned sequence illustrations can do a great job of communicating the concept – but a well executed animation can get the concept across even more effectively and efficiently.

To see the animated version, visit our YouTube Channel.

Infographics Step of the Day - Plumbing Part I

2009-08-06T08:53:00.002-04:00

Infographics has done quite a large number of plumbing instructions over the years and we’ve found that plumbing can often present some unique challenges from an instructional perspective.

Today we address how illustrated instructions can help provide a clearer picture of steps in the installation process. A very common approach is to rely on photos to represent and communicate installation steps, but there are considerable limitations when using photos. For example, you can only see how the parts connect from one side of the countertop surface, either above or beneath. Our example uses illustrations to show users how parts interface both above and below the mounting surface at the same time, which communicates the concept much more clearly and effectively.

Establishing context, orientation and perspective is an important consideration when communicating an installation sequence and, of course, making sure parts are clearly identified in each step illustration. In this case an inset illustration also provides a profile view to reinforce how parts should be assembled. Careful consideration of how to show parts—and which viewpoint will best communicate key information—can make a very big difference. More on plumbing in our next installation…

Infographics Step of the Day - Rubbermaid Commercial Products

2009-08-03T11:45:00.003-04:00

After a brief summer hiatus we’re back with more step-of-the-day samples. Today’s topic is PEOPLE. Often those developing assembly and usage instructions are content to show products, parts and components, but frequently they leave out the most important part of all – the user… One thing we strive to keep in front of us at all times is the user - as in today’s sample. Showing users how adjust a product to fit them properly can be a challenge. Often an illustrated example is the best solution – offering a clear view of how to fit and adjust the product without adding unnecessary information or distractions.

Infographics is a tech agency.

2009-07-22T14:42:00.001-04:00

Our clients—the subject matter experts—become our partners as Infographics assumes the dual role of communications expert and consumer advocate. We realize that the best way to communicate unfamiliar information to your customers is to utilize both verbal and visual tools.

Infographics is focused on communicating technical facts in ways consumers can easily understand and use. We first collaborate with our clients’ engineering and product development staff to get the necessary information, and then we design the communication solutions that best relay the message. Through clear language, illustration, iconic or other visual means, we make complex things look simple enough to understand without losing the necessary details.

As a tech agency (a service business dedicated to creating, planning, handling and producing technical product or service communications), Infographics has helped other companies by managing, designing and producing:

owner’s manuals
assembly instructions
installation guides
use & care publications
quick reference guides
trouble shooting guides
product planning & design guides
specifications pages
exploded parts drawings
service technician manuals
training videos
technical animations
information pictograms

Learn more at our website.

Infographics Step of the Day - LipStix Remix

2009-07-21T09:37:00.009-04:00

Who ever said that instructions have to be boring? Sometimes style is a significant consideration – even when it comes to instructions. Today’s sample incorporates a two-tone retro look that was a major component of the design language for this project. The wordless instructions were incorporated into the packaging and merchandising of this product from our friends at LipStix Remix.

Infographics Step of the Day - Viking Range Corporation

2009-07-16T11:12:00.007-04:00

Sometimes it’s nice to break away from traditional sequences and offer up something a little different. Today’s samples are from a launch program developed for our good friends at Viking Range Corporation. They were in the process of launching a new dishwasher that incorporated some great new technology and truly unique features. In order to help communicate all of this innovation, we developed a series of cutaway illustrations allowing visibility to different components of the new unit…which was a big help in communicating the value and significance of all that great new technology!

Infographics Step of the Day - Suncast Corp.

2009-07-15T08:33:00.004-04:00

Today we’re looking at scale. Sometimes it’s difficult to for users to maintain context when dealing with small assembly details on a large product. As a case in point, take this gazebo assembly guide that we developed for our friends at Suncast. To address this challenge, we added a small orienting location view in the upper right-hand corner of each step so users would know how the step relates to larger parts of the whole.

Infographics Step of the Day - Britax

2009-07-13T10:18:00.006-04:00

A seemingly universal instructional challenge is child safety car seats. In fact, a study several years ago found that nearly 80% of infant safety seats are improperly installed because people can’t understand the instructions. And that leads us to today’s step, which was developed for our friends at Britax. In this case we employ clean visuals, arrows and simple steps to walk users through a replacement sequence.

Infographics Step of the Day - Medical Equipment

2009-07-09T10:34:00.009-04:00

Today’s steps are from a training animation we developed for a client who manufactures complex medical MRI imaging equipment. The animation is part of ongoing maintenance and repair training which helps to reduce equipment downtime. The steps show how to reassemble two key components of the system – by showing the relationship of the components in space and making the front component transparent, we were able to show specifically how to align and fit the two parts together which is crucial to successfully replacing the part.

Infographics' Step of the Day - Plumbing

2009-07-08T10:08:00.004-04:00

Today’s step is a nice example of how using a side - or alternate - view can greatly improve understanding of information that may be crucial to a successful installation. In this case, the installer needs to be aware that they need to leave a specific amount of threaded shank exposed when installing a pot and kettle filler faucet. Helping installers anticipate potential complications BEFORE they become a problem can significantly reduce support requirements, product returns and warranty claims!

Our Space - Converted offices in 100-year-old textile mill

2009-07-02T14:53:00.009-04:00

Infographics' Step of the Day - Lofty Vision

2009-07-01T11:29:00.003-04:00

Continuing our theme of illustrations offering useful consumer information on packaging – this is a wordless sequence we developed for an insert card for clamshell packaging. The steps show consumers how easy to use and versatile the product is – in this case adhesive label holders.

Infographics' Step of the Day - Sanford Brands

2009-06-30T09:04:00.004-04:00

A theme you’ll see repeated in many of our projects is simplicity. We believe that often—but not always—less is more, and so we are frequently tapped to develop clean, wordless instructions for our clients. In this case, Infographics® developed these wordless instructions for a folding desktop organizer developed by the folks at Sanford brands.

Infographics' Step of the Day - Wayne Dalton

2009-06-29T11:00:00.003-04:00

Today’s sample is from the programming section of a whole-house wireless networking product from our friends at Wayne Dalton. The user guide we worked with them to develop explains what could be somewhat intimidating programming information in a sequential and visually based format – which helps to take much of the fear and voodoo out of the process for consumers.

Infographics' Step of the Day - Suncast Corporation

2009-06-25T10:17:00.005-04:00

Today’s sample is an illustration we developed for Suncast to show how water pressure is used to automatically reel in a garden hose. The graphic was developed for their retail packaging. Numbered arrows help to explain to consumers how the mechanics work to make their life easier – A great way to demonstrate a true competitive advantage! More on this theme in future entries…

Infographics' Step of the Day - Plantronics

2009-06-24T09:07:00.002-04:00

Today’s sample is a spread from a wireless headset user guide we developed for Plantronics. The sequence shows how to set up the charger base and make phone and power connections. In this case our goals were to show the process clearly to ensure connections are made properly (as this had consistently been a problem for users) and to minimize copy in order to reduce the need for translations.

Infographics' Step of the Day - Maytag

2009-06-23T10:10:00.004-04:00

These steps were developed for a Natural to LP gas conversion guide for Maytag gas ranges. The guide is intended for professional installers and includes step illustrations that detail sub-sequence actions and part rotation with numbered arrows.

Infographics' Step of the Day - Oxo International

2009-06-18T10:03:00.008-04:00

The use of arrows and numbers clearly demonstrate the technique for cubing/dicing fruits or vegetables with the Oxo V-Blade Mandoline Slicer. This product was named Editor's Pick in "Vegetarian Times" magazine. The article also made mention of the slicer's easy-to-use Quick Start Guide to Slicing.

Infographics' Step of the Day - InSinkErator

2009-06-17T09:27:00.004-04:00

This is an ”INCLUDES BOX” we developed for InSinkErator’s new line of Evolution food waste disposers. It shows what’s included with the product and also what tools and materials are needed – installers can inventory parts and tools needed to get the job done!

Infographics' Step of the Day - Rubbermaid Commercial Products

2009-06-16T09:04:00.006-04:00

In this example, the use of see-through hands demonstrate how to safely control the product's speed. Interface and function are clearly communicated in a few simple visual steps.

Call the experts when it comes to assembly instructions

2009-06-08T14:30:00.006-04:00

For many people, the fun of taking furniture home when you buy it abruptly ends when it is time to piece it together, according to an article from the New York Times archives, Memo to Assemble-It-Yourselfers.

Note to RTA furniture manufacturers: Infographics offers valuable expertise when it comes to the development of assembly instructions and other post-purchase consumer communications.

infographics® call for input

2009-05-19T10:41:00.005-04:00

Are you a DIY consumer who has experienced frustration because of poor assembly or installation instructions?

The team at infographics® is dedicated to providing useful instructions designed for consumers, like ourselves, who believe they deserve first-rate information and service after purchasing products. We sympathize with consumers who purchase an exciting new product only to be frustrated with a less than pleasant ownership experience of struggling to understand how to assemble the product and/or use it and all its features.

infographics® is also dedicated to offering product manufacturers an experienced resource who can provide truly useful and customer-focused instructions for their customers. We believe this is a great way to demonstrate a product manufacturer’s understanding and respect of their customers’ genuine needs.

At the same time, we’re astounded at how much a manufacturer invests in advertising versus the investment in their customers understanding and experience with the products after the sale. We hold to the belief that the same people responsible for product support literature at these companies are also consumers—and “the light” will eventually come on when they realize how poorly done product information can spoil the fun of ownership.

We welcome your input. Are we naïve? Do complex, hard-to-understand product instructions spoil your ownership experience enough to warrant that manufacturers should invest more in making sure you can understand them?

What bothers you the most?
The amount of time you have to invest in reading through wordy manuals?
The lack of illustrations/photos that actually help you?
The unfamiliar or poorly worded language used in instructions?
The frustration of not having (or the trouble finding) the necessary information you think is important?
The feeling you’ve been “had” after discovering inadequate instructions included with your latest purchases?
The frustration of taking up more of your time to call customer service lines?

Please comment and share your personal experiences and frustrations from the lack of good product information!

Survey reveals consumers want good instructions

2009-05-06T10:41:00.013-04:00

A recent consumer survey in the UK revealed that 67% of respondents consider good instructions KEY to their enjoyment of a product. Good instructions don’t just happen. Just like the product doesn’t just jump out of the box and assemble or install itself – ready to use. Consumers frequently site a bad layout, too many languages, confusing diagrams, and poorly written copy as reasons they get frustrated with product instructions.

infograhics has developed a unique style of visually based instructions that use easy-to-follow illustrations, graphics, copy and content. So where does it all start? In the lab of course. Our facilities include what we call “The Lab” which is where we assemble, install, deconstruct, tinker and generally saturate ourselves with product knowledge in order to really understand how things work before we begin developing the instructions. This helps us to know what will be challenging or confusing to the consumer and address it proactively – rather than creating an opportunity for frustration and the potential for a returned product. We also highlight important information up front – to help consumers knows when they can handle an assembly or installation and when they might want to consider getting a professional involved.

Because of this detailed product knowledge, infographics delivers concise, visually based instructions that consumers can understand – greatly reducing the potential for a bad consumer experience which can damage your brand - and the potential for product returns.

Enhance your customer's experience with professional product instructions

2009-04-28T13:56:00.009-04:00

Industry research by Accenture suggests that manufacturers can enhance the out-of-box experience by providing better customer education. “One-page quick start guides are certainly a good first step in terms of helping consumers set up, install, or use a new product. These guides are much easier to understand than lengthy instruction manuals. Many Consumer Electronics OEMs have recognized and confronted this issue by developing visually oriented set up guides. Similarly, multimedia customer education resources—such as accompanying DVDs and online tutorials—provide an engaging way to learn how to use a new product.”

Likewise, Infographics® has found that using visual graphics to communicate step-by-step assembly, set-up, or installation processes is a universally understood. We can attest to the old adage: A picture is worth a thousand words.

Case in point, OXO International, a company that was founded on consumer-focused philosophies, enlisted Infographics to develop a user-friendly quick start guide to accompany their V-Blade Mandoline Slicer. The quick start guide needed to accomplish three objectives: familiarize the user with the various blades and cutting options, demonstrate safe assembly, usage, and cleaning of the product, and bring about a positive ownership experience.

The Infographics quick start guide identified all the components of the OXO slicer, used step-by-step visual graphics to show safe blade assembly and removal, and included separate usage sections to clearly demonstrate how to julienne, dice, straight and crinkle cut fruits and vegetables.

Not only was the OXO V-Blade Mandoline Slicer named Editor’s Pick in “Vegetarian Times” magazine, but the article also made mention of the slicer’s easy-to-use Quick Start Guide to Slicing.
You can learn more about our visual approach to product communications at http://www.info-graphics.com.

The hidden costs of customer returns

2009-04-23T09:14:00.006-04:00

We know money is tight, so why should you invest in professional product assembly and operating instructions? Because you could significantly bolster your bottom line.

Consider this, Accenture’s High Performance Business research revealed that in 2007, consumer electronics manufacturers, communication carriers and electronics retailers spent an estimated $13.8 billion in the U.S. assessing, repairing, reboxing, restocking and, reselling, returned merchandise. Of this returned merchandise more than two thirds (68%) could be characterized as “No Trouble Found” (NTF). In other words, the device met the manufacturer’s specifications, but somehow failed to meet the end user’s (customer) expectations.

Considering the scale of these costs, we believe companies make a mistake by not putting more emphasis on their product instructions.

Returns prevention—especially when it is related to completely functional, non-defective products—is often not given enough focus as a problem aspect although it has the highest potential to impact results. By taking active steps to prevent customer returns upfront, companies can competitively differentiate themselves, deliver impressive gains to the bottom line and achieve high performance.

How? Accenture’s research indicated that weaknesses in the design, packaging and documentation could have a major impact on NTF returns. Infographics specializes in producing visual instructions that simply describe actions and clearly communicate complex information. Our illustrations serve as a universal language in product communications and bridge educational barriers. Our visual instructions simply describe actions and clearly communicate complex information.

As a result, our clients have experienced fewer product returns, improved customer service, reduced product liability claims, lower translation costs, improved brand perception, increased repeat business, and better ownership experiences.

Find out more at http://www.info-graphics.com.

Protect your profits by providing professional product instructions.

2009-04-15T13:53:00.006-04:00

Imagine you are a consumer and at the moment, tight for cash. That’s not too difficult in today’s economic climate. But you need to make a large purchase for your home. It could be a piece of furniture, some new lighting or a piece of technology.

Maybe you surf the net or browse the mall to find what you are looking for. You consider what is in your price range and what is offering the most value for your money, finally deciding on the product you want. Having parted with your hard-earned cash, you drive home with your new purchase in eager anticipation.

Open the box - and that’s when you have to face the instructions! How many people do you know who roll their eyes or give a wry smile when they talk about their terrible experiences with product instructions?

The humble product instruction gets stuffed in the product box and is left to speak for itself and indeed, for the brand it represents. And not just on the day the product is purchased, but possibly for years to come as well. It has to work hard, very hard. It needs to maintain the confidence of the buyer, explain how the product works or how the product is assembled or installed. It may even have to explain how it interfaces with other products, give the necessary safety warnings, and provide maintenance advice and trouble shooting pointers.

And, oh - if that’s not enough, it also has to be clear, reliable, well written, well designed and clearly illustrated. It needs to answer questions during its useful lifetime and finally ensure safe disposal of the product many years down the line. It’s a tough job being a product instruction booklet!

We are bombarded by slick advertising every day on the roads, on TV and on the internet, yet once we have a product in our hands our main source of information about its workings and complexities are all contained in a little black and white book that mostly, let’s face it, has a really poor reputation.

This unassuming booklet or user guide really is the Cinderella of company literature - but think about it - it’s the lasting voice of your brand that installs itself in customers’ homes long after the advertising campaign is forgotten. It has to be a hard worker. One survey in the USA indicated that 76% of consumers reported they “always” save their user manuals. Do you have a drawer, cupboard or file that houses all your instruction manuals? Ask around, a lot of people do! These little booklets really are part of our everyday lives.

There’s no doubt that a good set of instructions improves a customer’s ‘out of box’ experience. Just think. A product that comes out of the box with clear, easy-to-follow instructions that help get the product up and running quickly reassures the customer that they have chosen the right brand. It creates a warm feeling. Satisfaction. Good instructions don’t generate fits of anger, irritation and disappointment like poor ones do. And importantly for manufacturers, brand owners and retailers, according to our research, repeat purchase is more likely in the future. This is good for brand owners, good for customers, and a significant advantage when trading conditions are tough.

If user guides could talk they would be lobbying for better investment, good design and user testing to make sure that they can do a really good job of advising customers well into the future.

There are more reasons why your brand should have good product instructions. The whole supply chain benefits through reduced costs. There will be fewer calls to help lines, less staff time dealing with queries and complaints, and a drop in the numbers of ‘no fault found’ returns by up to 20%. Which means the high cost of reverse logistics will also fall.

Introduction to Infographics

2009-03-26T11:24:00.006-04:00

Instructions for global use, really?

2008-09-24T13:47:00.004-04:00

We might as well face it--the world is getting smaller day by day. Advancements in technology makes the world smaller, closer, and more connected. Even so, there are some manufacturers who still are worlds away in their understanding of the importance of global instructions. We found this example of instructions for stringing a guitar from the website of a Japanese guitar manufacturer:

[ATTENTION] - Please do not wind up a string more powerfully than need. When I run out and am exposed to sight, I am in danger. - Please cut string appearing more extra than a spool. There is a case to cause an injury.

The original instructions were obviously fed through an online translation tool and the results were disastrous! Fewer words and more images would help this manufacturer become a real participant in universal communication.

Three tips for delivering "Best in Class" instructions

2008-08-28T14:33:00.009-04:00

Get to the point quickly and concisely.
As the complexity of products continually increases, customers are placing the burden to explain how to use, maintain, and service products at the feet of manufacturers. Nevertheless, the way in which that information is communicated is becoming paramount. According to Aberdeen benchmarks, the top business pressure, in fact, is customers’ demand for concise and customized documentation. Providing instructions or manuals to Joe Q. Public written in “engineer-speak” will most likely result in a frustrated customer.

Recognize documentation development is a crucial part of the product development lifecycle.
Interestingly, this is a marked departure from past practices in which documentation was addressed at the tail end of product development. As a general rule, it seems that product development schedules are seldom met. Therefore, if documentation is being addressed at the end of the development cycle, the need to introduce the product to market as quickly as possible can result in sacrifices in the planning and execution of the instructions. The best in class companies are incorporating documentation as another piece of the product development process allowing time for proper evaluation and analysis of the best manner to communicate to the end-user.

Visually communicate critical product information instead of forcing customers to read lengthy text.
Yes, it’s true. A picture is worth a thousand words. Data from our research confirmed more people understand concise, image based instructional or educational material than text-heavy collateral materials and engineering based images. Best in class companies recognize that visually based communication tools can decrease technical support and customer service calls as well as reduce product return rates. In addition, companies are realizing a reduction in the time and cost of localization because communicating with graphics instead of words reduces the amount of text there is to localize.

Are you ready to join the “best in class” companies when it comes to your product instructions and documentation?

Cards, anyone?

2008-06-05T09:10:00.003-04:00

We just couldn't resist sharing with you these so-called instructions for the card game, Go:

The goal of the game is:
1) With the own pieces area to encircle and with it possession to take. Each intersection within the wall which is made by own piece counts score of the settlement.
2) Through encirclement the pieces of adversary caught to take. A piece is encircled, when it or the concatenation pf pieces of the same color has no rectilineal combination for an unoccupied intersection. Each one which is caught counts acore of the settlement.

Also, found on a toy manufactured in China:

Give attention to open/close toys,therefore take place peril.for instance slipup batteries wield result in the emission of heat rupture liquid.vent itself prythee pay attention.

Does anyone care to take a stab at deciphering? We believe that this is just another case in point that writing instructions should be left to the experts.

Are your instructions making a good impression?

2008-05-21T13:54:00.008-04:00

Even as a child we all learned the importance of making a good first impression. The same basic principal applies to business as well, especially when it comes to a product’s assembly or installation instructions. Most engineers and product developers are so familiar with their products that they don’t realize their directions are confusing to the first-time user.

Shoppers at Amazon.com can now tag products they’ve purchased online as having “poor instructions”.

We found one shopper’s experience to be quite telling:

Once assembled this fan does what it is supposed to do - moves air with an oscillating motion. But the assembly can be a challenge. For example, the instructions read: ‘Use the included 4 screws to attach the lower metal pole to the fan base.’ In fact that won't work - you also need to use the included washers and nuts to make the screws tight. Unfortunately, this was the smallest problem. At one point an ‘adjustable height knob’ (a screw with an oblong plastic cap) locked in place, and trying to loosen it stripped the cap off. This left a frozen screw that had to be removed with pliers. Next, a locking cap that was supposed to fix the fan blade in place didn't tighten - there wasn't enough threaded bolt exposed. It tightened nicely if you removed the fan blade, but that wouldn't cool your room well. With a few half-#*$$ed fixes the fan is now running, and seems to be cooling well.

Sound familiar, anyone? Have unclear directions ever made you want to bang your head against a wall? Perhaps while putting together pre-fabricated furniture? Or a gas grill? Or installing a swing set?

Simple animation speaks volumes

2008-04-15T12:02:00.005-04:00

In 2005 DIY Network sponsored a "Best Built House" contest and needed a resource to help them clearly communicate some of the technical details of the winning floor plan on their website. They not only needed great looking illustrations to adorn their website but, images that clearly and accurately conveyed the details of these innovative solutions to an eager-to-learn audience.

DIY realized that the team at Infographics® was particularly suited to this project because of the custom “visual languages” they produce for their product manufacturing client base that communicate information universally and effectively through a balance of technically accurate illustrations, universal symbols and copy for consumers.

The end result was a 10-second animated sequence of the house progression that included a nice rendering of the house and animations of the construction of the special features: pre-cast basement, insulation under basement floor, 3 stud corner, high-heeled roof trusses, air sealing, house wrap, total fill insulation, ice & water guard, PEX tubing for plumbing, tankless water heater, and ERV - air circulation system.

Click here to view sample.

Infographics® releases white paper

2008-03-20T10:53:00.006-04:00

Creating consumer-focused instructions for a programmable remote control system

Infographics® is pleased to announce the release of our first white paper, a study on creating consumer-focused instructions for a programmable remote control system. The paper provides an in-depth discussion of the challenges encountered and Infographics® comprehensive solutions.

We hope that you will read the white paper and invite you to let us know if you are facing any of the same challenges. Click on the image at right to go to the download page.

Bad instructions are bad for business.

2008-02-27T15:40:00.001-05:00

At Infographics® we're in the business of translating technical product information into plain English with the goal of facilitating a better ownership experience for our customers' clients. We understand that bad instructions are bad for business, and in turn, good instructions result in brand loyalty and satisfaction.

Here are a few rules we routinely follow:

Target the audience – Usually consumers haven’t used the product before, that’s why they’re reading the instructions.
Use a simple style of language – This often means using the command form of the verb, known as the imperative: 'Switch on the computer' instead of 'The computer should be switched on'
Split the information into manageable chunks – Readers waste time and make mistakes if the information they need is buried in long paragraphs and wordy sentences.
Use section headers – Split the instructions into separate sections whose headings identify the purpose of each action.
Use appropriate illustrations and labels – Illustrations are good at showing what things look like and their relative size. This can save words (and translation costs!) as well as illuminate the words that remain.

Welcome to the blog!

2008-02-26T16:34:00.002-05:00

“The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.”

–Sydney J. Harris

At Infographics® we've spent the last 12 years developing communications tools that bridge educational, language and cultural barriers and make it easier for consumers to assemble and use all kinds of products. We translate complex engineering, assembly, care and usage information into an easy-to-digest, consumer-friendly language and have a host of services to address nearly any communications challenge. Over the years our goals have remained constant--facilitate understanding and improve the ownership experience for our clients' customers.

We invite you to take our on-line poll and share with us your communications challenges. And check back at this blogspot periodically, as we will be using this forum to share some of our successes, tips, and other visual solutions.