Design Plan 2:
How to Make a Pillow Sham.
Purpose:
• My motivation for this second set of instructions is to give more experienced sewers a plan to follow when making pillow shams for their home.
• I want my audience to feel proud of their work.
• I have used patterns before, but they are always confusing and most of the time their suggestions are harder than necessary.
• The best possible outcome is that the person will make this beautiful pillow sham that will make all her (or his) friends jealous.
• The worst possible outcome is that my instructions frustrate the audience and they don’t finish the project. Or, that they put it together and hate it.
• My project will be a creative outlet for maybe experienced sewer who wants to redecorate their homes without spending extra money on lavish pillows.
Audience Characteristics
• Probably middle aged women
o Have experience sewing
o Wants to redecorate a room in their home
o Probably have children running around
o Probably have very little time to devote to projects because of job and family responsibilities
o Have a sewing machine
• My audience may search for information online, but will also be likely to use a pattern from a fabric store. They will be tired, harried, impatient. They will most likely be interrupted during the project by a spouse or kids. The audience will want something beautiful, yet simple.
• Most relevant
o Have more experience
o May be interrupted
o Have a sewing machine
Context
• Communication will take place through written means. The reader may be drawn to the information while at fabric store, but they will complete the project at home. They will most likely have a sewing machine which they will set up either on a sewing machine cabinet, a table, or maybe even the floor.
• The language should be more professional yet clear.
• I won’t be there. Very professional
Strategies
• I will make the steps easily numbered so that it is easy to find their place once they have been interrupted.
• I will have line drawings to show steps.
Medium
• I will make a small booklet that is easy to hold open, doesn’t fall apart. And is small so it doesn’t take up a lot of room.
• Will fit inside a pattern sized envelope
Arrangement
• I will put a list of tools needed, and a list of materials on the opening page
• Step numbers will be bolded.
• Left side = instructions
• Right side= illustration
Testing
• I try out the instructions myself.
• Have my mom, an experience sewer, try them.
Design Plan #2
-You seem to have the most thought put into the audience, which is a great aspect of your plan. I love that you seem to almost know them personally; it makes it easier for me to follow your plan and will make it very specific when writing your instructions.
-I think you could elaborate on the strategies a little more, though. Explain more of how it will look, get a good picture in your head of how you want your readers to see these instructions.
-I think this is a very well developed design plan and it connects to our project by having such a specific audience.
-I would think about possibly having a video, however, along with the booklet. While the booklet being portable is a great aspect, if you had a video the audience could watch first they might have an easier time following the instructions on the paper.
Review: Make a Pillow Sham (For Experienced Users)
Umm, not sure what purpose the worst possible outcome serves but its entertaining. Good on the audience, the fact that you can describe them that accuratly is great. Context is good as well. Stragegies, have you thought about diagrams of any sort, or do you not think that would work for this subject and professional setting? Arrangement, is there any kind of warnings that you need to give? Sounds like this is something you have a lot of experience with so there shouldn't be to much that will need to be fixed after testing which sounds good too.