Infographics' Step of the Day - Oxo International

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.