Why is branding so important when we speak about technical documents? If we look through any user manual or another document, we will see that it has a special design. The choice of colors, logos, fonts is not an accidental one. It makes the documents look attractive and complete. But there is more than that behind what technical documentation looks like.
Choosing the logo, colors, and other elements of the document design we claim that these documents belong to some particular company. From the point of users’ view, documents like that are credible and reliable as the information they contain comes from the company itself but not from other sources. Visual identity of all corporate documents underlines their connection not only with the company but also with the product. That is especially significant for external users. They should have no doubts that they are using the right manual that will give them the correct guidelines. Here we are talking not only about common products and mechanisms but also about highly complex things as, for example, planes, machinery, weapons. Their usage and maintenance should be based on strict rules to provide safety and exploitation without disruptions.
One more essential thing comes from the visual identity of the company’s documents — the brand promotion. That really works great when their branding is well thought out. Step by step visual identity of documentation will contribute to the brand equity which includes awareness, loyalty, preferences, association, and even experience in some way. When users are aware of the brand, they are ready to interact with it. It does not mean that they will definitely buy the product. At this stage, they get a lot of associations and a particular image of the product. This may include not only colors, but sounds, and images as well. That is how it works: if you think of Coca-Cola, one of the colors that will come to your mind will be red. That association has become so strong that it works among people from all over the world. Only after people start using the product, loyalty and preferences appear. Branding always accompanies a product and its documentation. That is why it is an aspect that requires a lot of attention.
When we already have a particular style for technical documents, we can create templates. They will form a skeleton for your corporate branding. Templates may include a company’s logo, details, colors, table of contents, etc. They will save your time. You will not have to care about the branding every time you work on a new document. All of your document will be identical. That looks professional adding to the positive image of your company. That works very well when you are to demonstrate your documents during business meetings or presentations.
If you are a technical writer or a person who for some reasons performs this function, I recommend you to pay attention to the instruments and tools that will help you both write the docs and give them proper branding. Clickhelp is one of such platforms and if you want to try it, you can do it here:
And how do you try to improve branding of your documents?
Have a nice day!
Bradley Nice, Content Manager at ClickHelp.com — best online documentation tool for SaaS vendors
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