User Manual Critique Paper free essay sample

User Manual Critique Paper This paper is an observation and critique of the Apple iPhone 5 user manual. The criteria used to critique will be of the following; Audience Recognition, Development, Conciseness, Ease of Use, Consistency, and Document Design (Gerson Gerson, 2012). The iPhone 5 is the most unique and popular smartphone available today. It is used worldwide by all age groups for personal and business use. This phone is known to be user friendly and have the capability to out-perform any other smartphone on the market. This paper will determine if the user manual will live up to the reputation of the iPhone 5. The first impression of the user manual is that it possesses good audience recognition. The technical terms are well defined, so that all users can understand and comprehend. It provides graphics/pictures of the actual screen for instruction with step by step guidance. The steps are easy to read and follow with the appropriate tone to help users understand without having any doubt. We will write a custom essay sample on User Manual Critique Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A good example is in chapter 4, where it discusses the Siri feature. This feature provides the capability to ask any question to Siri (interactive personal assistant) by pushing a button on the phone and then speaking. The user manual provides in-depth information and graphics on how, why, and when to use Siri. The development of the user manual is well thought out and has a lot of useful information on the iPhone 5. It covers all topics and areas on the functions of the smartphone with precisely developed steps. It provides all the required information needed, such as hazards, warranties, accessories, technical descriptions, and tools or required equipment. The Appendix C Safety, Handling, and Support section is where a lot of the useful information can be found. The one negative comment would be on the lack of information pertaining to the warranty. It does have a link that will take you to the warranty page, but it would be more convenient to include a brief outline of the warranty on the manual. The conciseness of the manual is good because all sentences, words, and paragraphs are straight to the point when talking about examples and steps. It does have a lot of detailed information, but it’s better to have more than not enough of information. The manual is user friendly and easy to navigate. It’s easy to find what you want and has many options and topics. There is a table of contents, glossary, hierarchical headings, headers, footers, index, cross-referencing, and hypertext links. However, the one thing missing is a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section. This will be useful because it provides problems or situations that may not be included in the manual about the iPhone 5. The consistency is good throughout the manual with the parallel hierarchy of headings used and the graphics presentations. Each graphic used for instruction is the actual picture of the display screen. The graphics seen in the manual are the exact images seen by the user on their iPhone 5. The graphics are placed in the same location on the page with the same type of example for each topic. The same technical terms, cautions, and warnings go hand to hand with each other and are used throughout the manual. The page numbering system is consistent and all users will not have an issue locating any pages or topics. The document design has an informative professional look to it. The graphics depict how to perform all steps. The manual is color coordinated with text, graphics, and examples having different meanings by the color. For example, the key words and hazards, such as warning, hyperlinks, and topic headings are in blue text, while the other texts are black. The design is put together well and there are no flaws with the document. The overall perception of the Apple iPhone 5 user manual is that it’s a great manual with a lot of information that covers all basis and topics of the iPhone 5. It gives detailed information on how to use all features and when to use them.