Everyone has experienced poor instructions that leave a bad impression about the product straight out of the box. Here are some of the most common mistakes made when creating assembly instructions.
Poor English
Assembly instructions should be written in a clear and concise manner. People often make the mistake of being too verbose or using complicated language, which can make it difficult for the user to understand the instructions. Poor English and incorrect translations make the instructions look extremely unprofessional and can hinder progress.
How Cadasio can help
Cadasio creates 3D instructions, which means you can can cut down on the amount of text needed, reducing translation.
Skipping steps
It is important to include all necessary steps in the assembly instructions. Skipping steps can lead to confusion and mistakes, especially for people who are not familiar with the product being assembled. Sometimes this is done as a cost saving exercise. If you are still only producing 2D instructions, it can be time consuming to create the images needed for every step, especially when you are under pressure to get the product to market. The more steps you have the more it costs for translation and printing which is another reason some companies try to cut down on them.
How Cadasio can help
Creating instructions using Cadasio is a very quick process, and you can start it earlier on in the design process. You are using the same data as the designers and engineers, so there is no need to start from scratch or wait for professional photos to be taken. This means that you can spend more time creating all the necessary steps and providing a full and comprehensive set of instructions.
Lack of Clarity
Assembly instructions should be detailed enough to provide a clear understanding of how to assemble the product. People often make the mistake of leaving out important details, assuming that the user will know what to do. Worse, is when the images are so small you cannot make out any of the necessary detail, or just look like a smudge on the paper. This can reflect extremely poorly on not only the product but the company itself.
How Cadasio can help
It can be hard to create 2D images from different angles, but as the creator in Cadasio you have full control over the view and scene so you can provide as much detail as required. In addition to this, the 3D instructions that you create in Cadasio can be manipulated by the end user that you are sharing them with. If there is some detail they can’t quite see from one angle, all they need to do is simply zoom in or rotate to get a better understanding.
Exploded View Only
Just providing a hard to interpret exploded view is a sure-fire way to frustrate your end users. Whilst this is a quick solution, as often it is just a screenshot from the CAD application, it is not as good as a proper step by step set of instructions. With hundreds of exploded lines going all over the place it is very hard to understand how parts actually fit together and in what order.
How Cadasio can help
You naturally build your Cadasio presentation up using steps. Even if you end goal is to create a single exploded view, to achieve this you would undoubtabledly create all the steps necessary to get there.
Out of date information
If the images in the instructions don’t match the physical product, your end user is going to be left confused, potentially wonder if parts are missing and simply loose confidence in the product before they have even got started. This typically happens when a design changes but the documentation is left out of date because it would be too costly to redo it all. Assembly instructions should be revised and updated as necessary. Accurate instructions are a must to instil confidence in the customer that they are able to assemble the product.
How Cadasio can help
Since Cadasio projects are created from your CAD data, there is no excuses for it to be out of date. Any parts that have bee added or removed and changes to geometry can be pushed up to an existing Cadasio project without having to start from scratch. This not only saves a lot of time on rework, but ensures that your assembly instructions are up to date. If you do update your Cadasio project, all you need to do is simply create a new version, and the changes will be available instantly online making sure your end users always see the most up to date information.
Lack of visual aids
With 2D instructions visual aids such are arrows, diagrams and illustrations can be very helpful in understanding assembly instructions. People often make the mistake of not including enough visual aids or not making them clear and easy to understand.
How Cadasio can help
Cadasio automatically animates your steps, providing a more visual and engaging experience for your viewers. Additional items such as 3D arrows, images and lines can be added easily to further enhance the presentation.
Not testing the instructions
It is important to test the assembly instructions to make sure they are accurate and easy to follow. People often make the mistake of assuming that the instructions are correct without testing them first.
How Cadasio can help
Since you can start the creation of your assembly instructions much sooner on in the process when using Cadasio, it gives you more time and opportunity to test them and ensure they pass your quality control. You can share a Cadasio project with a simple link or even QR code, so there’s no need to print the document out and then pass it on to someone to test. Simply email them the link and they will have access to the presentation.
Conclusion
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create clear and effective assembly instructions that will help users successfully assemble your product. Cadasio can help with a lot of these issues, and best of all you can try for free to ensure it is the right solution for you!
