ENG 204-001

I have no idea what I’ll be doing my instructions project on, but it may not be something I already have a lot of knowledge about. I first thought it might be best to explain something I already have significant knowledge about, but I realize after reading the assigned pages that may not be the best choice. I would most likely be more sucessful if I learned something new, step by step, and practiced it before attempting to write directions. That way I would not leave out any imperative information that the audience requires, and I could also ensure no excessive information was included.
For example, one of the assigments my public speaking class last semester had to complete was to give a speech during which we instructed the class on how do do something. The instruction set I chose to create was for making an origami swan. This worked out really well because it appealed to my whole audience, both my peers and my instructor, and was easy to explain step by step because I had a visual aid in the origami paper. I agree that a “general audience” does not exist; if I had been teaching origami to preschoolers, I would first have chosen a simpler origami shape. Then I would likely have been required to use a larger number of instructions, and phrased them differently. Rather than “fold the paper in half” I would have said something like “fold the paper like a hot dog” or some other synonym that children would be familiar with.
Unfortunately, I made several mistakes in this presentation, one of which was including a history of the art of origami at the beginning of the speech, which according to TCT is completely unnecessary. It is obvious that details are a vital component of any set of instructions, but it is obvious that superflous information can, and should, be left out.

As of now, I am not completely sure what I will choose to feature in my instructions project. However, once I am set on a particular topic, I am confident I now know how to approach it. The summary for this project mentioned Call of Duty and discussed how I will be laying out instructions designed for two different audiences. Using this example, I considered what it would be like to create instructions for a mother whose only association with video games is buying them for her son's birthday. It would certainly be much simpler than a manual intended for a "veteran" in the video gaming world. For instance, I would include much more thorough details about the controller itself whereas, I might glide over that type of information with a more experienced gamer.

To change subjects entirely, I would be forced to "dumb" down instructions for cooking when directing it towards a general male audience. If my girlfriend told me to sauté something, I would secretly do an Internet search to learn how to do it and what materials I would need to use. Simply telling an inexperienced person to do something he or she is not comfortable doing will not turn out successful. Just as telling most girls to retrieve a flathead screwdriver, rather than explaining its appearance is ineffective, simply stating kitchen-related methods to most men would create confusion. In both of those cases, illustrations would be a great mechanism to use.

However, it is also important to not seem redundant in the instructions because some cooks may be turned off by elementary definitions and pictures when referring to sauteing. Chapter 20: Instructions and Documentation touched on this subject.

In my experience with directions, I have found that they are extremely boring yet they try to appeal to any audience. For our project we will need to target two separate audiences. This will be a good exercise to practice for a professional writing atmosphere, as many writings are targeted towards a specific group. The reading explains the importance of making directions visually appealing as well as easily understandable. I will use this technique when forming my own directions to make the reader want to continue reading. The truth however is that people skim through directions to get to the information they need. This is why I like instructions manuals that have an extremely organized contents section in which you can immediately find the page that you need most. It will be interesting to create these two separate instructions. At first I did not understand how to do this, or why anyone would make directions target a certain audience. After reading I see that say writing down a recipe for someone who never cooks would be much different than writing a recipe for an experienced cook. For the inexperienced person, each term would need to be explained to achieve the ultimate results. However, with an experienced chef you would not need to include these definitions. The same applies to video games. A gamer does not need an explanation of what a care package would be for call of duty MW2, they just want to know which button to press and how to achieve it. Where as a person who has never played this type of game would want to know every detail. I have not chosen my set of direction but I think it would be interesting to make a set for the advanced readers and one for people who have never experienced what they are trying to do.

Though I am still unsure of what my topic will be, I now feel more comfortable with the instructions project after reading all of this material. The readings really helped me to understand what is needed or useful when creating proper instructions. Such tips included analyzing and knowing your audience, making the instructions appealing to read, and even perhaps watching someone perform the task or use something to know what mistakes or actions are commonly made.
The Instructor Blog: Instructions discussed what turns readers off of instruction manuals, and used the Rubik’s cube instructions as an example. The website was in bright red and the text could hardly be seen. It made me not even want to read it. This made me realize the importance of making instructions appealing and easy to read. People will skip instructions if they look to confusing or wordy.
Chapter 20 discusses the planning involved when creating instructions. Steps should be taken such as giving yourself time to use the product or follow the process, realizing your purpose of writing the instructions, and knowing your readers. These tips will be very helpful to me when I begin the project. One cannot properly write anything unless fully knowing their audience; to be fully aware of the readers’ needs, values, and attitudes is a necessity. Chapter 20 also emphasizes the importance of doing your research before you begin writing. This is extremely important because in order to inform others of how to do something, you need to be informed yourself. Background research is necessary. I also found this tip very useful: you are better off giving your readers more information than they need. The book states that it’s important to try not to overestimate your audience’s skills and understanding. It’s also important to put yourself into the reader’s place when writing instructions.

I am not big on reading instructions. I would much rather just start an activity— such as a board game or installing software—and consult the instructions later if I have any problems, as noted in Instructor Blog: Instructions. I can think of a few times, however, in which reading instructions have been advantageous to my use of a product. When I bought my first fancy running watch I was so excited because it could take 50 different splits (or laps) that I could recall later after my workout. I would take these splits almost daily, but couldn’t figure out how to bring them back up to tell my coach later. After a while I simply gave up and assumed that the watch wasn’t as great as I thought it was. Months later, I found the instruction manual and found that there was a separate mode for “data” and all my long lost runs were already stored there.

My reluctance to read the instructions lead to ignorance and I did not use the product to its potential for quite a while, but that is not completely my fault. Since the watch was already together and working when I bought it, I was not motivated to read the instructions (TCT pp. 567). In my eyes, there was no task to be completed. When I did look at the user guide, I noticed that the instructions themselves were fairly user friendly. Aside from unfolding the sheet several times, I had no trouble understanding the many uses of this once foreign watch. They effectively instructed me on how to access the “data” mode through text and graphics, a valuable combination according to TCT page 574. Another important step mentioned in the book was to conclude and “signal completion of the task.” My watch did this by stating that since I now knew how to use it, I was ready to run the streets or the trails with the elites. This encouraged me to read instructions in the future.

I think the reason most instructions are avoided is because of their bland, boring format and simple wording. While it is important to avoid unnecessary and redundant information to avoid confusion, adding some character to your instructions won’t hurt. I particularly liked the example in the book with the mini cooper instructions. They had personality, making them attractive and intriguing to a reader that might have overlooked them otherwise. The two-tone color scheme attracts attention where needed but still keeps it classy, organized and uncluttered, only emphasizing the important stuff. The text itself is also brimming with entertaining yet informative personality. The quirky humor keeps the reader motivated to continue reading but still provides the information in a clear and concise format. This particular ad also backs up the text with very useful illustrations that highlight and number parts being discussed. The illustration about the hidden key compartment was particularly useful, depicting a feature that would otherwise be difficult to see or find.
I plan to incorporate some of these strategies into my own project to enrich the instruction reading experience. Diagrams will be especially useful in pointing out particular parts of an assembly and avoiding the confusion similar to that of Ryan changing the oil in his Plymouth. Adding personality to my instructions will hopefully make the overall process more enjoyable while at the same time improving the reader’s attention span and increasing the comprehensive effectiveness.

I am still unsure of what my topic will be for the instructions project, but from personal experience I know that directions can be boring and tedious to read. Therefore, when addressing the two separate audiences it will be important to make it seem less like a chore than it is. After reading the material I felt more informed about how to write instructions and what the important features of the instructions are.
From the reading I learned one way to make instructions seem less like a chore and that is to make the instructions visually appealing. If the instructions look boring then a person will already dread reading the instructions. Pictures should be used to help the audience visualize what they are reading in the instructions. Also from personal experience I know that instructions are never read word for word. People search for keywords when looking at an instruction manual. Therefore the instructions have to be organized and with an index. In the instructor blog about instructions, a link to a set of instructions is given. These instructions are for solving a Rubik’s cube. The instructions are an example of instructions gone bad. They are neither appealing nor are the organized. There is nothing visually to help explain what is stated in the instructions. The colors of the instructions page made it difficult to read.
The instructions should not included confusing language. It should use short explanations that are easy to understand and follow. Instructions that use long sentences and words that an average person would not use would not make a good set of instructions.
I think that the important thing in doing this instructions project is addressing the two different audiences. When doing so you have to know the proper tone and language to use for a certain audience. I think that will be the greatest challenge of the project.

For this project, I think I would like to do something with a toy or board game. I feel like these products have a very specific audience to target. The blog mentioned at there is a huge difference in the users of one video game over another. I think this is probably true for all games and toys, because they are only set to target one group of people in one small age range. Another thing that I’m interested in is the balance between giving the instructions and making the consumer happy. With a toy, nobody wants to sit around and try to assemble it. I remember reading an article at Christmas that talked about how parents spent more time assembling their children’s toys than their children did playing on them Christmas day.
I never really thought about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of instructions that the TCT book discusses. I think these questions are a really great way to analyze the audience though and produce a useful document. My research process will probably be heavily focused on getting visuals, because most people using the games or toys are probably not the type of people who want to spend time reading. This could be different if I pick a more quiet game like chess or dominos, but for most things the user will probably be living a pretty fast-paced life.
I’m not sure about the safety warnings I will want to put in place unless there is a small game piece that could be swallowed. I am sure when I do my research, I will find warnings that I never thought about. There is an air freshener can in my apartment that says to remove birds from the room before spraying, which I never would have even considered. I am also a little worried about getting down all the really important details, but I am excited for this project.

Personally, I've never been big on reading the instructions until it is absolutely necessary. I like to learn what I can by trial and error. Of course, it does eventually become necessary to browse the manual for certain elements. For example, I did not know how to set my video camera to record in black and white. My associate and I wished to shoot in black and white instead of fixing it in post, so I had to turn to the massive instruction booklet that came with my camera (this was the first time other than referring to it when putting the camera together that I had even cracked the thing). I found this particular manual very easy to follow, and have been back many times since.

It seems to me that crafting a set of instructions has a lot to do with the format of your documentation and your word usage. I have seen instructions that are easy to follow (such as my answering machine), and instructions that are overly complicated and confusing (the see-through clear plastic engine model my father gave me for Christmas one year that was not put together properly and ruined because of unclear instructions). I'm not sure what sort of instructions I'd like to create, but I'm leaning towards something slightly humorous like the Mini-Cooper guide in TCT. Also, in your blog you mention the attitudes of some towards specific warnings (the example given is the costume cape and how silly some people find the "cape does not let the wearer fly" disclaimer). This instance reminded me of a funny youtube video that pokes fun at the diagrams used in the Japanese version of the Wii User Manual. The video is called Wii Warnings and can be found here*.

*Disclaimer: video contains language that may be considered offensive and is not necessarily safe for work.

I know how it is with instructions. I never read them at first because of how boring they can be. Like what was said with the video games the first thing I do is put them in and play till I get stuck then I might look through the instructions. I usually play through the games without even looking at the instructions. In the newest game I got, Bioshock 2, I like how the game guide has everything laid out in a basic and easy to find format. I looked through it for the first time and found the controls shown with a picture of the controller that labeled them and said what they do without just listed the buttons off to the side like in some game manuals I have looked through. Also there are screen shots that take you step by step in the guide to teach you how to do almost everything in the game.

Through the reading chapter 20, it talks about how one needs to know and have done their research before writing because if you don’t know what you are talking about then the audience won’t either. The writer needs to know their audience and you need to use basic terms because there those who are novices at performing the tasks laid out before them. Using visuals are the best kind of instructions for people to follow because it is something that everyone can follow. Also they need to stay away from using long sentences and using uncommon or confusing words that the readers don’t know. Besides if they knew exactly how to do something they wouldn’t be reading the instruction book anyway.

It is hard to say that I have had much experience with instructions. Most of the time, I try to assemble or operate through trial-and-error before having to rely on the instructions manual. The few instruction manuals I have used been generally simple when it was assembling an object, but not when using detailed software. I am good at working on a computer but not great and sometimes the instruction for using software, recording software for example, expect you to know a great deal prior to using the manual. This was an issue in the Instructor Blog: Instruction. It specified on what the audience should expect to find out in the instructions and the importance of knowing what the audience already knows and what they need to know. There are no instructions "for anyone", so instruction must be carefully geared toward the audience that will understand simple instruction while not having to be taught an encyclopedia of information. One should expect that if an instructions user is greatly informed on the matter, they will have no need for detailed explanations, only general instructions. Pictures and diagrams are very important in instruction because they are visually easier to understand compared to paragraphs of instructions. Another aspect mentioned in the Instructor Blog was about instruction being as close to real world experience as possible. If the audience of the instruction may have trouble doing something required in the instruction, let it be known and give multiple suggestions on what they can do to ease the action. After all, if an individual can not perform one of the many actions described in the instructions, the instructions were not useful. This is another aspect that instruction writers should understand about people possibly having difficulties in areas of the project.

My father used to say, "when all else fails, read the directions." I grew up in a house full of leftover parts. As the sagging economy continually forces people to do things for themselves rather than pay an expert, I have found myself the victim of bad instructions. I have felt that the inclusion of assembly instructions was a perfunctory act and that by skimping on quality directions, companies are merely trying to save money. What they fail to realize is that if I have a poor experience following their directions, I am not likely to purchase their products again.

When planning and researching a document, it will be very important to ask the Five-W and How Questions. As a novice at pretty much everything, I am constantly frustrated by instructions that assume ability and skill on my part. These systems focused instructions are often sparse and include little more than, "insert tab A into slot B." Diagrams are often only shown in close-up or wide view, not both. As a consumer who needs both perspectives, I doubt whether or not the author of the instructions asked the question, Why are these instructions needed? The obvious answer is, they're needed because I don't know how to put this thing together.

The inclusion of what tools are needed is also of underestimated importance. When recently assembling an entertainment center, I was instructed to use a 1.6cm bolt. I don't keep a ruler handy to know exactly which of the similarly sized bolts was to be used. Going the extra mile for the writer of the instructions could have included a ruler in the tools needed section. It seems like a small thing, but it would have been very helpful.
Going forward with the instructions project, it is my hope that I will learn to write them effectively. There is a great need in the world for good instructions. Reading them should not be a last resort.

During my internship last year in the finance department of a small company, I was asked to write the different processes of each person inside the service. This was a challenge, just by considering how many different audiences I had: current and future employees (primary readers) who are the action takers; managers who will evaluate the employees based on this document, and also judge my capacity of analyzing the tasks of a department as a trainee; external or audit consultants who estimate a firm's ability of doing business partially based on those processes; and the last audience was my direct manager.

One of the most difficult part of this project was to identify the needs, values, and attitudes of each audience, and then select appropriate content for each of them. When talking with an employee, it was important not to underestimate her tasks, but also not making them feel too much important regarding to the overall business.
Then I had to make sure to translate their ideas into words that make them feel important to the company. It was an important recognition of their merit, and having this in mind had also to be balanced with the fact that the manager does not want to be forced to raise wages during the next evaluation meeting, just because of this process. Estimating the fair value of each task and job was one of the most critical issue because it was going to affect each audience and their response.

Third, I wanted to produce a clear document to help everyone outside of the organization to understand quickly what our business model was, and what was the role of the finance department in it. Staying close to the facts was really important, and the use of graphs was very helpful, because it made the steps unique, concise and numbered.

Finally, my direct manager probably wanted an accurate and well-designed document to serve her needs of recognition from her superiors. By showing she had effectively trained an intern, she could raise her value in the eyes of the top executives of the company.

To conclude, I would say that writing instructions requires a lot of intuition and research about the audiences, especially their needs, values, and attitudes.

In hearing the word that we were going to be writing a set of instructions at the beginning of the semester, I was mortified at the thought. This is perhaps because instruction manuals have such a bad reputation for being dry, excessive, or unclear, confusing, and bogged down. The problems that Dr. Tirrell outlined in the Instructor's Blog seem almost obvious, but I have never honed in on the specific details that make instructions 'bad' until now.

The first example that comes to mind is the most recent experience I've had with instructions (and this was a while ago so it shows how turned off I was). I was assembling a basic desk chair with wheels. First of all, as TCT indicates on page 566, specific and precise titles are important. These instructions were literally missing words, as if someone who spoke English secondarily and not very well had written them (I realize that is probably the case). This indicated to me poor quality of the product. I also didn't find out until after I was halfway through the assembly of the chair that I needed my own screw driver to complete the process. I was not about to jump up and jet off to Wal-Mart (which is where I had just purchased the chair) so I gave up on the process. These instructions were missing a vital element - a tool list. Even if it is just one tool, it is important that the user knows it will be needed. It might have even been helpful to state this necessity on the outside of the box, because I am not going to examine the instructions while I am inside the store. Much like some electronics will state: 'batteries not included' on the packaging. I actually took a good look at all of the documentation on the box before I brought it home so that I would know if I needed any additional tools.

Even the word 'instructions' can elicit a cringe or a heavy sigh, not because the genre itself is defined by bad literature, as I know now, but because the designers are not catering to a specific audience. Some instructions are quite user-friendly, a great example being the video on how to use Google Docs to make a Gantt chart that we watched in class. Even though this is clearly an instructional video, it seems to not even fit into the genre of the dreaded 'instruction manual' because it is so clear and helpful.

I myself am one of the people who discount instructions and instead look for the simplest way to get something done. Hopefully after doing this project, I can form a set of instructions that will be valuable to people like me. After gaining a better understanding of the two audiences we are supposed to target, I will be able to craft a project that will be beneficial to the everyday audience. On page 556 of Technical Communication Today, there's a set of instructions that includes graphics, such as a flow chart. I'm thinking that if I utilize tactics like this, it will make the instruction set easier to understand. However, I have to beware of the use of too many graphics, because those alone can be more confusing than reading a list of instructions. I think the trickiest part will be addressing the "primary" and "secondary" readers at the same time. I think addressing both of these groups effectively depends on what kind of instructions I will be writing. Seeing as I'm not sure what I would like to do the project on, it's still undecided how to address both target audiences. Hopefully through doing this project I will be able to learn how to address both groups appropriately.

Personally I am often the person who jumps right in without reading the instructions. When I stumble across a problem I refer back to the manual and let it guide me the rest of the way. Usually when I do use them, I am fairly successful with them. One thing that I have noticed with instructions is the need for them to be multi-cultural and international. Products are becoming more and more global and they will all need instructions. Like chapter 20 of the text says the instructions of course need to be translated to the spoken language. More importantly then is to make sure you keep the vocabulary simple. As the book says don’t use metaphors or idioms that only North American culture would understand. A wonderful example I found in the book about translating correctly and doing research on these translations in different countries is what Pepsi did in Taiwan. Their slogan “Come alive with Pepsi” was translated into “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave” in Taiwan. That would be quit an embarrassing mistake for a company. Symbols of course need to be considered as well. They can make for embarrassing issues as well. Some symbols may have far different meanings cross-culturally.

The third problem that was mentioned in the Instructor Blog: Instructions is something I can relate too. The problem mentions that people often skip right past instructions and do it on their own because the instructions look intimidating and unappealing. I know it’s happened to me. If I see instructions that look incredibly difficult to read because they appear incredibly unorganized and just difficult to look at, then I will more than likely skip them and try my best on my own. Often the best instructions are simple and offer good diagrams to assist you.

I have never had to produce a set of instructions before. I think that this project will be difficult for me because I get very impatient. I have always said that I should never be a teacher because I do not like to explain things that I already know how to do. This project will definitely give me practice in giving instructions and explaining things very thoroughly.

I never realized that there are different audiences for giving instructions. It makes sense that there would be however, because sometimes it can take more than one person to follow a set of instructions. For example, I remember when I was younger I received a set of K-Nex for Christmas, even though I couldn’t have been more than ten years old. I really wanted to make the roller coaster that was on the front of the box. Obviously, I couldn’t do it by myself, having no experience with building anything, even out of Legos. My mom and dad had to read the instructions and help me build the entire thing. So even though the K-Nex were meant mainly for children, they needed to take the parents into account as well that will be helping the children build the structures.

While doing my instructions project, I am not sure if I should write instructions about something that I am already familiar with or if I should write about something that I do not know much about. If I write about something I am already an expert in, I may leave out crucial details because I think that they are trivial. On the other hand, if I do my project on something I don’t know much about, I may leave out something important accidentally.