Topics

The journey continues: ISO 82079‑02 , another draft

By 17. February 2026No Comments

Topics

The journey continues: ISO 82079‑02 , another draft

2026-02-17

The fundamental standard in technical communication is ISO 8279-1 “Preparation of information for use (instructions for use) of products: Principles and general requirements” Even though “principles and general requirements” may sound somewhat tedious, this standard is very practical and relevant. It becomes really concrete in Part 2 of the standard, “Assembly of self-assembly products” This is particularly interesting to me in one area: technical illustration.

The standardization committees of the organizations involved did not make it easy for themselves; many years of processing time, withdrawn drafts, and changes in responsibilities give hope for a major breakthrough. Right?

Let’s take a quick look at what changed between the mid‑2024 draft and the late‑2025 draft:

Stronger normative foundation

The 2025‑12 draft uses “shall” more frequently than “should” and includes additional references to other ISO standards.

Greater focus on real user experience

The draft introduces guidance on torque specifications, acknowledging that most users cannot correctly interpret them.
It also recommends using ISO 7010 PPE symbols for individual procedural steps when needed. The reference to ISO 7000 seems to be an error.
In addition, the use of systematic views based on ISO 5456 (isometric projection) is emphasized.

Refinement of terminology

Key terms are harmonized. For example, “instructions for use” is now marked as deprecated and should be replaced with “information for use.”

Media provision

The 2025 draft softens the requirement for printed documentation, shifting from “shall” to “should,” but adds an important note explaining why printed materials may still be essential. It is difficult to ignore this argument in a risk assessment.

Decide for yourself:

Quote from Chapter 7.1 of the draft ISO 82079‑2 (2024):
“Complete information for self-assembly shall be provided on accompanying printed media for any product intended for self-assembly by consumers.”

Quote from Chapter 7.1 of the draft ISO 82079‑2 (2025):
“Complete instructions for self-assembly should usually be provided on accompanying printed media for any product intended for self-assembly by consumers to avoid the risk that some of the target audience do not have access to a display device, a printer or the internet at the time of assembly. This can result in them proceeding without any instructions and making a critical error.”