For the technical instructions project, I will be creating documents detailing how to install the Windows operating system on a Macintosh computer. The instructions will cover how to backup a Mac system drive, how to create a partition and format it properly for Windows to understand, how to install the Windows operating system, and how to configure Windows to interact with Mac peripherals. These instructions are legitimate and necessary because the Mac OS is becoming more and more popular, and most business software is only compatable with the Windows operating system. Being able to boot both Windows and Mac OS on a single computer allows users to run their personal and professional software on a single machine. I am qualified and credible to write about this topic because I am an active user of both operating systems, and have completed this particular process several times.
My two seperate audiences will be users familiar with the Macintosh operating system, and those that are not. There is a learning curve involved when using the Mac OSX, users who are unfamiliar with it will be very unfcomfortable delving into the complexities of the operating environment. Both users will need to have a document that is easy for them to follow on the first try. The layout I will use will likely be step by step, with secondary details described between steps. The graphics will probably all be computer screen captures, allowing users to visually connect what they are doing on-screen to the instructions in front of them.
Instructor Feedback: ajwaters
This seems like a workable topic, and your first paragraph explicates the task you will cover, clarifies why this task is legitimate and necessary, and establishes your credibility. However, the second paragraph would benefit from expansion. You state: "My two seperate audiences will be users familiar with the Macintosh operating system, and those that are not." This is a very wide range. What constitutes familiarity? You probably want to think about what constitutes expertise with regard to this specific task rather than expertise with the OS as a whole. Also, you don't provide many concrete details about the work itself. Would this be a printed manual? Would online instructions make sense? You state that "both users will need to have a document that is easy for them to follow on the first try." If this is so, then how are these groups different? It is vitally important that you are treating your two audiences as distinct entities. You don't want your two instructions sets to differ only in degree (i.e., the expert set is just a cut-down version of the novice set); you want them to differ in kind (i.e., the expert set is qualitatively different from the novice set).
All of these issues popped into my mind as I was reading your proposal. I think you might benefit from looking at this thread, which is over a similar topic. Nathaniel's comments are likely applicable, and TANoNati's may help you get a strong handle on the differences between your two audience groups.