The object of design and presentation of information is explained well in Chapters 24 and 25. Positioning of objects and even the color arrangement will effect if the reader will like your layout. In the instructor blog it explains that a design is judged in under a second. This statement makes complete sense because our eyes already know what a good design is by using visual acuity. I think that the layout of a design is also important because if a person is color blind they are going to use the significance between light and dark areas and can still make a decision on what a good design is. Things like proximity, contrast, and arrangement of object in a document can affect the purpose of a document. I did not think that altering the font in a document could change the design but is demonstrated well in Chapter 25. Changing the margins and leading points can make the document easier to read. I think when I make my instruction manual I am going to increase the leading point slightly so it is easier to read. Personally I do not like to read books and this actually might be why. The words are very close together in novels and overwhelm me. Spreading everything out and having good graphics will make the document have a better layout.
I understand that an instruction manual is a technical document but after reading Chapter 24 on designing and presenting information I am re-thinking the layout of a good document. There are formal ways of doing different documents but I think that an instructions manual needs to be a little informal. To keep the audience interested in your document I think that interesting things must be thrown into the document. Complementary colors and objects that “peacock” or stand out are helpful in fun and interesting documents. Chapters 24 and 25 definitely explain the peacock theory.
Secondary Readers
During the readings this week, I never really thought about a colorblind audience or any other disabled audience for that matter. The readings opened my eyes to a lot of different aspects of design, but it never occurred to me that my instructions could look completely different than intended to certain groups. This is something that I will keep in mind when I start to write my instructions. As far as peacocking, I think it can be a good idea but it would depend on the type of document and the audience you are writing to. If you are writing to a younger more open-minded audience they may appreciate it. An older more sophisticated audience, however, may care more about the content of the document rather than the edgy designs.
Informal
I like what you said about keeping the instructions informal. In my opinion it should almost be like you are there with the person walking them through how to do something. Not only will this help keep readers engaged but I would think that it would also help make sure that you don't over complicate your instructions. Although you shouldn't dumb them down either. Tricky line to walk: be as informative as possible but don't make it complicated.
And while you mention throwing interesting things into the document, you need to make sure that they don't disrupt the flow of the document. Sure that diagram you toss in looks cool but does it serve a purpose and do you reference it in the instructions?
Andy