User Documentation
Adobe Acrobat Pro User Manual Creation
Task
This solo project took place during the Winter 2023 quarter at MSOE. My professor identified a need for a detailed document describing how to properly use the Adobe Acrobat software for freshman students in their introductory COM-1001 (Freshman Studies) class.
I was tasked to create a document detailing the steps that a brand-new user of the Adobe Acrobat software should take so they can be successful in their introductory and beyond college courses. To achieve this goal, I conducted a deep analysis of the Adobe Acrobat software to identify potential pain points that may challenge students, eventually compiling my findings into a concise and organized document.
Takeaways
The professor commended my approach to the user manual project, offering feedback after the quarter ended as to how I could improve my document. After applying this feedback, the user manual was finalized and is now available to view on my portfolio.
Please click the button below to view my published user manual!
Methods
To complete my user manual, I had to complete the following:
Analyze Adobe Acrobat: I spent a week fully analyzing the Adobe Acrobat software to identify pain points and places I personally struggled with during my freshman year when I learned the program. These findings were compiled into a document for future use.
Understand Warnings in Documentation: My professor taught the benefits and ideal use for warnings in user documentation, instructing when to use and avoid them. With this in mind, I was able to identify potential places within my user manual that may benefit from these labels. I did not include them much in the manual because the risk for the user was low. However, it benefitted the document by occasionally placing NOTE and CAUTION when necessary (as shown below in my artifacts).
Ensure Readability: After creating my user manual and importing my previous findings, I redesigned the content to follow UX writing guidelines and design principles. This ensured the content was readable for accessibility and font sizing concerns.
Apply MSOE Branding: A requirement for this project was to apply the MSOE brand guidelines such as color, font, and course coding. After visually updating the content, I was able to brand the document accordingly.
Finalized Title Page with MSOE Branding
Resources Page with MSOE Branding
Example Textual Warning