Tech Writing

Despite (allegedly) being the least often read of all publications, a clear and informative user manual can lead a customer from frustration to satisfaction. And as electronic media products become ever more sophisticated, the occasions on which a customer needs to “RTFM” multiply.

I began writing manuals during my first loudspeaker design job with Mordaunt-Short and have continued ever since. The simple loudspeaker manuals I began with are now however the exception. Complex, GUI and app controlled, and network connected, audio product manuals are the norm, and it is often the case that the act of writing the user manual contributes to refinement of the user interface. And it’s not simply user manuals that I now find myself writing: app and on-line support copy increasingly plays an important role.

I’ve written, and in many cases designed and managed, manuals for mumerous well known specialist consumer and professional audio brands including: Naim Audio, Bowers & Wilkins, Acoustic Energy, ATC Loudspeakers, Dynaudio, Focusrite and numerous others. Click on the images below to open examples of work for Naim Audio, Dynaudio, and Bowers & Wilkins.

Update! As of October 2024 I’ve decided to retire from the user manual business. I’ve been doing it long enough now and it’s undoubtedly someone else’s turn.