instructional manuals
Step-by-step directions
Instructional manuals are documents that explain how to use, assemble, operate, or maintain something.
They accompany products ranging from appliances to software, typically combining step-by-step procedures with diagrams or illustrations.
The quality varies wildly—some are models of clarity while others seem translated through several languages by someone who never touched the product.
I actually read the instructional manual before assembling the bookshelf.
Also called user manuals, owner's manuals, or simply instructions.
- guidebookReference for travelers
- handbookCompact reference guide
- tutorialInstructional step-by-step guide
- directionsGuidance for reaching somewhere
- stepsSequential actions in process
diagrams · troubleshooting · customer support · assembly · warnings · procedures · technical · reference · how-to · step by step · user guide · quick start · specifications · parts list · illustrations · index · glossary · warranty
- language referencesdictionary, thesaurus, dictionaries, glossary, lexicon
- grammardeclension, pronouns, adjectives, conjugation, nouns
instructional manualsintuitive design
Interface requiring no instruction
trial and error · guesswork · user-friendly design · plug and play · instinct
instructional manualsoral tradition
Culture passed by speech
word of mouth · improvisation · folklore · tribal knowledge · unwritten rules
instructional manualslearning by doing
Acquiring skills through practice
discovery learning · exploration · play · tinkering · apprenticeship
instruction, instructional, instruct, instructor, instructors, instructions, instructed, instructing, instructive