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THE MAN-MACHINE BLOG

Latest blog articles

The new machinery regulation and the implications for user manuals

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

This article gives an overview of all the changes in the new machinery regulation compared to the machinery directive in relation to the user instructions and goes into a bit more detail about digital manuals....


Creating Compliant User Manuals

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

During this free webinar I am going to show you how to create a compliant user manual that helps you to avoid legal pitfalls for machinery, medical devices, electrical equipment, and other products by using our INSTRKTIV Framework....


From a 9-to-5 office job to a location-independent career. Here’s how Erwin found his place in the sun.

INSTRKTIV Blog - Other topics

Erwin discovered his piece of paradise on the tropical island of Bali and works as a technical writer for INSTRKTIV. We asked him what motivated his adventurous move to a new country 12.000km from home, what a typical working day looks like for him, and how he experiences life on the Island of the Gods....


What are the main differences between the machinery directive and new regulation?

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

In 2023 the machinery directive will replace the machinery regulation. This infographic shows how this affects your user instructions....


How These Companies Never Had To Create a Manual Again

INSTRKTIV Blog - Other topics

Jean-Pierre is a technical writer at INSTRKTIV and enjoys working for companies that outsource their manual creation. He spends fixed days each week providing capacity to companies that need help with their documentation. We asked him all about how he helps product owners and engineers balance their workload, create impressive manuals and other documentation for innovative products and boosting team efficiency....


Create Awesome User Instructions For Leading Companies

INSTRKTIV Blog - Other topics

JP is a technical writer with a background in international law and marketing. We asked him all about the projects he works on and what makes working with product leaders so interesting....


Case Study Vogel's - How We Used MadCap Flare to Create All Online Manuals for Vogel’s Products New Product Range and Increased Customer Satisfaction

INSTRKTIV Blog - Usability

Being the world’s leading manufacturer of TV mounts, Vogel’s Products turned to INSTRKTIV for optimizing their customers’ experience. As a result of our collaboration, we created online manuals for their products, using a powerful content management application called MadCap Flare. ...


Interactive User Manuals

INSTRKTIV Blog - Usability

Interactive animation is an increasingly important form of animation. When done correctly, interactive animation often is more effective than any other form of instructions....


How I Use My Work to Live a Fulfilling Life and Travel the World

INSTRKTIV Blog - Other topics

Lennard is an Industrial Design Engineer Graduate who swapped his nine to five job for a life working remotely. He mainly works for INSTRKTIV, creating user-friendly user instructions....


How to Grow Sales in the EU as a Non-European Business

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

In this Masterclass, Christelle Damiens will teach us what the key success factors are to accelerate and maximise sales in Europe. She will talk about selecting the right countries, setting up European distribution and securing your anchor customers. You will also learn how to avoid any pitfalls....


[MASTERCLASS] Publish Your Manual Online Legally and Save on Printing Costs

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

In this masterclass, I will help you to determine what information should be included in the packaging and what content can legally be placed online, using a simple, step-by-step system that anyone can follow....


Learn How the New Market Surveillance Regulation Affects Non-EU Businesses And What You Should Do To Keep Selling Products On The European Market (and UK)

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

In this webinar we will outline what the effects for non-EU businesses selling products on the European market are when the new Market Surveillance Regulation comes into force. ...


Do you need a user manual for face masks?

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

In this article I will explain the different face masks. I will tell you what the requirements for the instructions for use are. You will learn if a manual must be included or not. ...


EU and US Regulatory Requirements for Electronic and Print-based Documentation

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

In this webinar, I will help you to determine what information should be included in the packaging and what content can legally be placed online to stay in compliance....


PODCAST: How to CE Mark a Product, with Paul Hoogerkamp

INSTRKTIV Podcast

In this podcast episode, I am interviewing Paul Hoogerkamp on How to CE Mark a Product. ...


[WEBINAR] How to Create a User Manual in 5 Steps in 2024

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

In this webinar I will outline a step-by-step approach to create compliant user instructions for machinery, medical devices and electrical equipment in 2021. I will share practical information for each step of my approach....


PODCAST: How to CE Mark a Medical Device, with Martin de Graaf

INSTRKTIV Podcast

In this podcast episode, I am interviewing Martin de Graaf on How to CE Mark a Medical Device. ...


PODCAST: CE Marking and Requirements on Information for Use

INSTRKTIV Podcast

In this podcast, I am interviewing Jens-Uwe Heuer-James, a renowned lawyer, specialising in product liability and product safety, particularly on topics such as CE conformity evaluation and technical documentation....


PODCAST: Using the ISO 20607 to Create Instruction Handbooks for Machinery

INSTRKTIV Podcast

In this podcast, I am interviewing Martin Rieder, who has been part of the committee that developed the standard. ...


PODCAST: Using the Principles of Minimalism to Create Better User Support, with Dr. Hans van der Meij

INSTRKTIV Podcast

In this podcast, I am interviewing Dr. Hans van der Meij, who has been researching the principles of minimalism for almost 30 years. Hans explains the four principles and how they help to reduce training time while increasing learning. ...


PODCAST: Using the 82079 Standard to Create Better Instructions with Sven Ring

INSTRKTIV Podcast

In this podcast, I am interviewing Sven Ring, who has been part of the committee that developed the 82079 standard....


CE Marking Responsibilities for Manufacturers, Importers and Distributors

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

Importers, manufacturers and distributors of products have different responsibilities when it comes to compliance matters. I have enhanced my CE marking article with these different responsibilities. ...


Which Countries Accept the CE Mark?

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

Products travel and have to deal with acceptance by other nationalities. CE marking has made things much easier. Do you want to know which countries accept CE marked products? ...


Customs & VAT When Importing to the EU: A How-to-Guide

INSTRKTIV Blog - Other topics

About to import goods from Asia to the EU? In this article, you will learn how to calculate import duties and VAT in 5, relatively speaking, simple steps....


When to Use Images, Text or Video in Your Product Assistance?

INSTRKTIV Blog - Usability

Choosing between whether to use text, illustrations or video in your techcomm should in principle always be based on how to serve the user of the information best. However, there might be some other things to consider as well now and then....


Product Safety Around the World

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

Our company exists mainly online. An advantage of that is that it is easier to find good people. The further you look, the more skilled people you find. Another advantage is that can I use the internet to travel more and not being limited to live and work from one location....


What Makes Portugal Different?

INSTRKTIV Blog - Usability

Where EU laws do require to translate your user instructions to the language where the product is being sold, this requirement does not exist for the product's label. Except in Portugal....


An Interesting View on Brexit

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

Whatever will happen after the Brexit, it will impact manufacturers, retailers and distributors of everything from consumer electronics to machinery as well as the e-commerce sector....


Drawing Up a Compliant CE-Declaration of Conformity

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

In this article, I am going to show you how to draw up a fully compliant declaration of conformity. And... after reading this post, you will be able to do this all by yourself, without studying for days about all those EU directives....


Can I publish my manual online? (UPDATE)

INSTRKTIV Blog - Law & Legislation

With the introduction of the New Legislative Framework in 2015 and he repealing of many product directives in 2016, few directives are left over that require a paper user manual. ...


10 Reasons Why MadCap's Flare 11 Sets the Standard

INSTRKTIV Blog - Tools & efficiency

As a technical communication service business we chiefly develop user manuals for our clients. Our primary focus is on generating high quality content. Of course, to be competitive, we need to create the output in a fast and efficient way. That’s why we use (and are an authorized reseller of) MadCap Software. As a brand advocate and ambassador, I was honoured to be invited to the early beta test of the latest major updates and enhancements added to Flare 11....