While the MD3196 is designed for simplicity, first-time users needed instructions on how to connect the 3-point integration straps when donning (putting on) the equipment. Monochrome product colouring and a uniform, understated profile also posed a challenge in illustrations and text descriptions, requiring creative wordsmithing to avoid confusion or overly wordy content. While Cyberscribe always strives to produce content that is clear, concise and consistent, there are circumstances of use under which special attention must be given to the state of mind of the user or reader in the moment at which they are most likely to need—and rely on—documentation for assistance, such as might be the case immediately prior to mission deployment or engagement in a law enforcement scenario.

Clear understanding of real-life usage scenarios is critical to successful product documentation. Content development relied on focused collaboration between our technical writer and technical illustrator, as well as hands-on interaction with the equipment to gain as much insight as possible into the user experience. Having stablished a connection with some of the potential challenges of usage, our team was able to provide clear, step-by-step instructions and illustrations that focused on eliminating the most common points of frustration, making a great product and its features immediately accessible to the user.