The Challenge
The challenge was to develop a detailed operating manual for GridPak in time for its launch. GridPak — a solar generator designed as a green alternative to commercial diesel or gas generators — was still in development, with no prototype and only conceptual operational features. Content Squared was provided with preliminary details outlined on a single whiteboard. Complicating matters, the product engineer faced a tight deadline to complete the design, engineering, interface, and manufacturing prototype, and could attend just one input meeting. Consequently, the operating manual and prototype were developed in tandem; often, the manual informed the interface programming and operating features. With no existing Trystar manuals to serve as a model, a new design standard had to be created for this entirely new product type.
Approach
To address this, a design standard for operating manuals was developed to incorporate necessary notices, cautions, warnings, and danger information. It would also reference all pertinent electrical, vehicle, and generator codes and standards. Recognizing the diverse needs of users, two versions of the manual were planned: a comprehensive 128-page manual and a shorter 'quick start' version for experienced operators. Content Squared led the process by researching various operating manual types, then providing copy, design, layout, photography, and project management services.
Result
​As a result, the manual was completed on time for the first production GridPak. The GridPak debuted at the Lollapalooza Jazz Festival in Chicago and the 3M Open in Minnesota, later serving as a test pilot for the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Now, the GridPak and its accessories are in full production in Faribault, Minnesota, and can be set up in as little as 15 minutes by field personnel and rental house operators.
