Instructions
Readings"How to Write Guides for Busy, Grouchy People," Jerz's Literary Weblog
Instructions, Online Technical Writing Response
We've all seen examples of Instructions gone awry. In our discussion section, post a description of a bad experience you've had with a set of Instructions, and speculate upon what the writer could have done to improve your experience.
IKEAFAIL: Instructions
In class this week, we'll talk about the examples you posted on Tuesday, and look at a set of instructions from a company many of you may be familiar with: IKEA.
Billy Bookshelf instructions |
Telling People to Do StuffOne of our first definitions of Technical Writing included communicating technical information for a variety of audiences. One of the hardest but most important ways you'll do this in your career is by giving Instructions. (Those of you working on manuals for your final project have probably already considered this.) In order to write clean, clear, well-understood instructions, you'll need to consider who your audience is, how they will be using your instructions, what knowledge do they need.
All instructions should be clear, well written, grammatically correct, consistently established, easy to follow, and should properly identify the appropriate steps. Writing Instructions: What Not to DoWe've all seen examples of really poorly written instructions. Some common reasons for poor instructions include:
Writer is unaware of rhetorical situation/use Writer is unaware of audience's level of knowledge/expertise Text is translated from another language without review Text is not included at all, and writer relies only on pictures Usability TestingIn order to best evaluate a set of instructions, it's important to conduct a usability test. Testing occurs when you, the writer, observe the audience's attempts to follow your directions. The writer should carefully watch the way the tester reads the directions and each set of actions he or she takes.
Usability testing provides the writer with essential feedback: it's key to understanding how an audience will approach a set of directions, and not just the writer, who is mostly likely to find the instructions so familiar that she or he may be tempted to take shortcuts that an unfamiliar user would not. Instructions Assignment: In-Class Writing, Fall 2015
|