Turning new product features into user manuals and training courses

 

New product, new features, new questions. For a technology client with a steady stream of launches, I turned complexity into clear user manuals for customers and engaging training courses for employees, and I was the voice of the project team in every client conversation.

At a glance

Role: Instructional Designer and client point of contact
Client: A global technology company
Worked with: Product teams, graphic designers, programmers and reviewers
Duration: 3 years
Tools: Evolve, Powerpoint, Word
Result: 3 sets (each set had 7 pages on varied features) of manuals and 5 courses delivered on schedule

The challenge
The client kept releasing new products and features. Customers needed clear instructions on how to use them, and employees had been left to explore new products on their own to learn them.

Part 1: User manuals for customers

• Tested each product to understand how its features worked before writing
• Followed the brand’s voice and tone, so every manual matched the brand’s look and feel
• Planned the layout and how the content was presented, and guided graphic designers and programmers to produce the final output
• Spoke with the client on behalf of the project team and kept delivery on schedule

Part 2: Training courses for employees

• Met the product team before launches to understand each product
• Designed the learning approach and shaped each course on a storyboard
• Worked with designers to turn the storyboards into courses on Evolve
• Took the content through several review stages before delivering the courses

The result

• 3 product manuals and 5 courses
• Delivered on schedule, with the client updated regularly
• SMEs appreciated good work

What I learned about leading
I lead with strategy first. Before any execution, I decide what we are building and why. I then use agentic AI to generate ideas, review them with my own judgment and use the best as inspiration, which makes the work faster without lowering the standard. Working remotely also taught me the value of physical meetings. Staying on a call together while each of us worked independently kept the team close and the work moving.

Skills shown: Instructional design, user manuals, storyboarding, e-learning, client communication, coordinating designers and developers