English 421Y: Technical Writing Online

1. Are the graphics helpful?

I though that the graphics you included were helpful

2. Should there be more graphics? If so, where?

You might want to have some graphics at the beginning in of your instructions to help with the installation of VMware and the creation of a virtual machine. Especially in the beginners set.

3. How can the instructions be improved?

I don’t think that you should have every single button press in your instructions. I think you could just say something like “follow the prompts until this screen” then describe what they have to do.

4. Were there any confusing points that needed to be fixed? Please explain.

I thought that the instructions were easy enough to follow.

5. What would you like to see added in the final version? (Beginner or Expert)

Maybe add some more screenshots to the beginners set so people know that they are actually doing the right thing. I really did not see much of a difference between your beginner and expert set other than the small section on backups and implementing Samba in the expert set.

I'd be more than happy to give this a try. I know enough about computers that I should be able to handle it, plus I've got a good friend who does this stuff all the time and can help me out as well.

I think you've chosen a very interesting topic, and I think you have a good start. I also like your use of 8.5”x11” in this case; your user will not be able to keep an electronic version open during the OS install without another computer. The instructions will most likely be printed out as a result, so it's a good idea to use the standard age size for print, which is 8.5”x11.”.

Before I begin, I want to tell you after the first few steps I decided not to follow through your instructions completely. I will discuss the reasons more in depth in my No. 3 answer. I'm not experienced with changing OS, so with this in mind here are my responses to your usability test:

1. The graphics were pretty standard for software installation, so they weren't groundbreaking, but they were efficient. One comment is make sure each of your graphics immediately follows the step it is supposed to go with.
2. The problem here is that, effective or not, there were only two graphics. Maybe you don't need as many illustrations to explain your steps, since they are pretty easy to follow. But your user might struggle with finding specific inputs, especially when there are many to choose from.

   The first graphic you had was pretty effective, because you showed a step where there were multiple inputs - a "match the screen" type deal. You should add more like it, especially for novice users who could get lost easily.

   If nothing else, you should add graphics just to increase the visual appeal of your instructions.

3. How you can improve your instructions: Ultimately, as I said, I decided not to follow your instructions. The main reason is because I wasn't entirely sure of what I was about to do to my computer and -more importantly - whether it could be undone if I wasn't happy with it. When I started your instructions, you didn't make me feel confident that I could follow the instructions without permanently changing my computer for the worse. Right off the bat you should give an explanation of what the user is actually doing to his or her computer and what state the user's computer will be left in once he or she is finished.
   • Can the user get rid of CentOS if he or she doesn't like it? If so, you should include instructions on how. If the only option is to leave CentOS alone and continue to use Windows, you should say so.
   • When the user installs VMware and and partitions the hard drive, can that be undone?
   • Can the user completely restore his or her computer to the state it was without the help of a professional or expert?

   You need to cover this important information. I hesitated and ultimately chose not to install CentOS because I just wasn't sure.

   You also breeze through a lot of your steps with simple instructions like "Click 'Accept.' Click 'Next,' Use the default settings..." You should be more descriptive. I think it's important for users to know why they are clicking and what it means. Your note on Page 5 is a good start. Include information like this at least every couple steps to help the user understand what he or she is doing.

   Another issue with your instructions' quick-hitting delivery would be a major problem when the user loses his or her place. Look at the bottom of page 1. If you were in the middle of those steps and you looked up to talk to someone even for just a minute, how would you find your place when you returned? It would be very difficult. Two things you can do to help this are be more descriptive in your steps ("Click 'Accept' in the terms of use prompt" instead of just "Click 'Accept'"), and use numbers instead of bullets.

   Other than that, just make sure you proofread a couple times to clear up errors.

4. It's hard for me to say since I decided not to try the instructions, but I think my above suggestions will clear things up a lot.

   Since I did start your instructions, I will say I was discouraged when trying to download the software. With VMware, I did not see the download button you mentioned, and when I did click a download link, I had to go through a company registration before the download, which you did not mention. With CentOS, you sent me to a URL, but I was automatically rerouted back the site's home page and I had no idea where to go from there. These affected my faith in the instructions to guide me. You don't have to write a half page of instructions for each download, but don't leave things completely out.

5. I was looking at your beginner version, but I took a quick glance at the expert version and really didn't very much see much difference, other than the small section at the very end.

   (a) The thing I want to see above all others is more information about what's happening for the user, especially for the beginner, as I said. A moderately computer-savvy user will hesitate because he or she doesn't know what this will do to their computer. A complete novice could be in danger of really screwing things up without even knowing about it. If you do a good job of this on your final draft, I may go back and install CentOS. However, I personally would not use any instructions on installing a new OS without clear, solid information on what I was doing and if it was reversible.

   (b) Another thing I'd like to see is a more developed structure, with more description instead of such quick hits, and more use of depictions and graphic design.

Thanks for the opportunity to review these instructions. If you have questions or need clarification, please let me know.