THE FINE PRINT
The Underappreciated Importance of the User Manual
By Kraig Kirchem Posted: July 24, 2012
I was doing some house cleaning the other day when I stumbled across something I hadn’t seen in a long time. Unfortunately, it was not a Honus Wagner collectible but a stack of outdated user manuals and self-help books. They are all well-worn.
Cover To Cover
Most people will use a manual to look up something specific,but I have this unusual habit of reading user manuals from beginning to end. I’m not sure whythat’s my approach to new software or equipment as opposed tojust jumping in and learning by trial and error. Maybe I actually like all the technical minutiae that user manuals explain. But I think it’s just the simple fact that I like learning things that will make me faster and more efficient on projects.
Kraig Kirchem is a Dallas/Fort Worth based director, producer, videographer, writer, and consultant who operates Kirchem Creative, a full-service media production company. He previously worked in broadcast journalism at TV stations across the country earning industry recognition including multiple Peabodys and duPont Awards. Full Bio
