Study your audience...

Submitted by bjdunfor on Mon, 02/23/2009 - 14:38

This week’s readings focus on what needs to be included in written instructions and technical descriptions. Chapters 19 and 20 reiterated the fact that when you use writing to convey any kind of message you need focus on your audiences needs. It stated that you should use the 5 W’s and H questions to help you include the proper information. I think that the video from Common Craft shows a very well put together presentation on how to use Google docs. Not only did the creator explain what you need to do, but backed up all of his information using graphics and made into a “cartoonish” type creation that showed step by step instructions on how to use the program. Chapter 20 explained different types of instructions like: procedures, protocols, specs and others. This chapter also gave tips on how to organize your instructions to get the best results possible out of them. Chapter 20 as well as chapter 19 explained the importance of planning. Without proper planning you will most likely produce instructions or similar things that are very unclear and have to be read a few times to understand what is going on. Just as we read about before in this class, you have to think about your readers needs. Not just the primary readers but the secondary, tertiary, and gatekeeper readers. I think that at least one time in everyone’s life they have tried to read some type of instructions and became clueless and frustrated by the end of the document. I have had this happen to me before when I got a tree stand for deer hunting and the instructions were so terrible I had to look at the picture on the box to assemble it. As stated in chapter 20 a key part to focus on before you write instructions is to “not overestimate your readers’ skills and understanding”. You should think about who might be reading these instructions and tailor it to there needs. For instance if you are giving instructions to a rocket scientist on how to assemble something you may not have to explain things as much as if you gave the same thing to an average Joe type and told them to put it together. If you are unsure who will be using these documents then you should make it as detailed and specific as you can so everyone can understand what you are telling them.

Visual Instructions

jstn's picture
Submitted by jstn on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 13:25.

Personally, I thought the Common Craft video was an amazingly clear and effective demonstration of how to use Google Docs. It touched on nearly every aspect and guideline presented in this week’s readings, including the senses that could be satisfied digitally. Although I have not used Google Docs to date, I feel I could efficiently do so after having watched that video. On a separate note, I found your reference to assembling your deer stand rather comical, because too often I solely rely on the graphic on the product’s packaging as the primary aid in assembly. A picture is worth a thousand words, and usually, it’s not 1,000 poorly worded or unclear instructive words.

Details R7

secolema's picture
Submitted by secolema on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 14:08.

I agree with you when you say "If you are unsure who will be using these documents then you should make it as detailed and specific as you can...", and I think this is one of the most important areas regarding the documents' organization. If you need to make a document detailed enough for novice users then you can also organize it so it is still useful for a moderate or expert user. By sectioning off steps correctly and using proper headings for the sections a more experienced user can simply read the heading and do the details that they know on their own without having to read through as much as the novice readers would. This is better because knowledgeable users can get the info they need without wasting time in areas they don’t need guidance in.

Shane

Sections of instructions

ck86's picture
Submitted by ck86 on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 22:25.

When a writer of instructions is not completely sure what types of people will be reading their instructions, I think that a good idea to use would be creating a set of instructions that includes every single step that would be useful for a novice, but then also creating easily outlined sections so that the experienced readers could easily skim through the different sections, reading only the easily noticeable high points. I think you are very right when you talk about knowing your reader, and doing that research, but I however do not think that it is ever possible to know fully what all kinds of people will use the instructions, but the writer should at least attempt it.