Multilingual User Manual Creation With A Difference!
HI-COM‘s production team recently completed a major project consisting of creating from scratch and translating a set of technical manuals and color labels for products heading to European retailers. The pro-activeness, patience and professionalism of our team, which even included a visit to the manufacturer’s premises, were all vital to this project’s success, and has paved the way for several new opportunities to collaborate with our client!
Understanding the client’s Needs, Kicking Off the Collaboration
We were first contacted by a buyer of garden furniture for several well-known retailers based in Germany. The client was not satisfied with the existing manuals provided to him by the manufacturer of his products based in China, and required localized, detailed, and easy-to-read instructions for his European end-users. The main product to be featured in the manuals was a louvered garden patio pergola, along with its accessories such as curtains and roller blinds. The old manuals, written by the Chinese manufacturer, consisted mostly of just basic illustrations, with no real explanation of how to assemble the products, which the client considered to be completely insufficient and likely to affect sales, and flood his customer service department with questions from confused and frustrated end users. After doing some research online, the buyer was impressed by HI-COM’s past experience of creating and translating user manuals, and that’s how the Chinese team got in touch with us.
After a few WeChat conversations and video calls about the products, what they’re used for, and the expectations of European end users, we sealed the deal in mid-September. We laid down a proposal to write up the manuals for those four products in English, and then have them translated into several European languages. This proposal also included the design of color labels to be displayed on the product’s outer packaging. We now had everything we needed to get the show on the road.
Getting Our Hands Dirty: On-Site Research to Build a Solid Base
To ensure every detail of the assembly process was covered correctly in the manuals, we arranged to put together a solid production team at very short notice, and make the three-hour train journey from Shanghai to Linhai, Zhejiang to visit the factory. Our carefully selected team consisted of native English technical writers and Chinese Project Managers to ensure smooth communication with the factory workers. When our team arrived, they carefully observed the product assembly process, taking notes, photos, and videos throughout. They learned how the louver pergola is assembled, what the curtains & nets are made of, and how the roller blind works. This firsthand information enabled our team to head back to Shanghai and write up the manuals in great detail, making sure all assembly stages were covered extensively, leaving no room for uncertainly or ambiguity.
Back at the office, the team took the basic manual from the Chinese team and incorporated the material they had gathered during their visit. They added elements such product specs, installation guidelines, and safety tips. Plus, they gave the illustrations a makeover, using clearer icons and localizing certain expressions, to ensure all points were easy to understand. In just a few short weeks, we had some drafts ready and sent them to the client for review.
Tackling Communication Issues Head-On, Earning Trust with Know-How
During the project, communication didn’t always go smoothly. Receiving feedback from the Chinese team and the German client was often rather slow and vague. For example, for the color labels, we had no guidance on sizes or examples, and were simply told to use our “professional” judgment.
Based on this feedback, our design team produced 3-4 design options based on the products and wrote descriptions highlighting what each product does. Our team remained patient and understanding while our client decided on the final designs, kept everyone in the loop, and juggled requests between the Chinese and European sides. We were able to lift the client’s worries, by tweaking the designs quickly according to his comments, and offered real solutions.
Success Gets Noticed – A New Chapter of Working Together
The entire project was finalized in November. The client was delighted with the end result, and specifically praised our team in the WeChat group, describing them in his own words as “highly efficient, professional, and skilled at solving problems.” This big thumbs-up has laid the foundations for a long term cooperation with our client, with many more manuals to be written up and translated in the future.
Successfully completing this user manual creation and translation project showed us that being professional and patient is key to breaking down communication barriers. Going forward, we’ll keep putting our customers first and providing work at the high level of quality they expect, fine-tuning every project and repaying our customers’ trust with top level services, paving the way for more opportunities to work together in the future.
For more information about HI-COM’s user manual design, creation, and translation services, click here.
