Purpose
The purpose of the instruction set is to encourage people to make environmentally positive changes in their home. Because some people can have a tendency to think these changes environmentally insignificant, I want the reader to feel like these changes can also benefit them financially. They should not feel intimidated or ill-equipped to take on any of these green options. It is also important to make people realize that this is a very affordable (if not money-saving) process.
Audience
This audience is consists of money conscious homeowners who may need some convincing as to why “going green” is beneficial to them. They don’t need to have a lot of money or free time, as the tasks being performed are easy, everyday encounters that require no professional help. They could be skeptics or they could be people who want to help the environment, but are unsure of how to get started.
Context
The instructions are not necessarily step-by-step processes, so they can be done anytime the reader gets a chance. Since the instructions are about making your home green, they will be done almost entirely at home. Some steps may require some shopping and finding products in stores.
Strategies
My strategy is to keep the changes simple. I don’t want to intimidate the reader with costs or difficulty levels. I will also encourage the reader by informing them of any money saving impacts the changes could provide, both long term and short term. Statistics on relevant environmental impacts will be given i.e. energy burned by a single incandescent light bulb in a year verses a more energy efficient option. I can also include images of nature or the earth that would inspire an environmentally conscious state of mind.
Medium
Since the purpose of these instructions is to go green, they should be presented in a green medium. The internet is a very green way of gaining information and would likely be the first place a member of the intended audience would look. A printed pamphlet or flyer would also be a good option that could be available at a green business or even on a college campus. Recycled paper would be used and would be clearly labeled as recycled to gain the readers trust in my purpose.
Arrangement
The instructions should have a “green” appearance. I don’t think I would want an all white background because that just doesn’t look green. A lot of recycled paper products are either brown or a newspaper color so that would be a better route to take. Again, I would use earthy pictures to keep the focus of the instructions in mind. The steps don’t have to be done in any particular order so I will present each step in different segments or with bullets. Relevant charts will be used to give a visual display of environmental impact statistics and money saving statistics where necessary.
Testing
I can test my instructions by giving them to neighbors and relatives who own homes that could be making less of an environmental impact. The instructions are applicable to old or new homes, so finding a test audience shouldn’t be too difficult. My test audience should learn something they didn’t know that would motivate them to take some of the steps towards greenness.
response 2
Purpose is most throrugh. You explain exactly why you want to create the instructions.
Audience is weakest (although it really isn't that weak). The one thing to change would be to widen your audience to more than just spectics of environmental improvement.
Both of us are writing for an uneducated audience. Both of us will have to instruct instructions that can be understood by a novice.
If the audience were kids, the language and material would change. A child can do things differently to go green than an adult can.