Are your instructions complete?
OR incomplete like this!!!!!
We are working with Written Directions. How good are you with verbal directions?
Watch for the surprise at the end!!!
WITH A PARTNER
With Your Teammate, skim through the article ‘writing instructions for Busy Grouches”
You will have 30 Minutes today to complete your Technical Writing and Drawing.
What are the two areas you plan to focus on?
Complete your Technical Writing and Drawings
Conduct a usability test and make adjustments to your directions.
Conducting a Usability Test: Handouts Are On The Back Counter
Visually Drafting Your Instructions
It’s time to start envisioning what your instructions will look like. Using your
item and your planning worksheet notes from your partner, you will now
create what technical writers call a mockup or rough draft.
Use the chart-sized piece of paper to brainstorm visually the different parts
your instructions will have.
Think back to the structure and design of the instructions we analyzed in
class for suggestions for your work. For example, you may want to include a brief introduction, a description of warnings about the object, a list of the parts needed, and different lists of instructions or diagrams of the object and how to use it. Draw boxes for each section of your instructions. See the example below:
Introduction | Warnings |
Sketch of Parts: | How To… |
On your sticky Note: Write the 2 things you will personally be accomplishing today to complete your Technical Writing and Drawing
You have 30 minutes.
Insert 2 Textboxes for this slide:
Usability tests involve asking different people to read and actually use a draft of instructions. They help technical writers learn more about their audiences and what they can change in their instructions to make them more effective. You will each conduct at least two usability tests of your set of written instructions.
Check it out, people actually do this for a living
Tester’s Role:
The tester (another student) will pretend to be the audience for the instructions. Testers should approach the instructions as if they’ve never used the item before and must use the instructions to operate (“use”) the item. Each person will take turns reviewing a set of instructions, looking at it slowly page by page. Testers will look for errors such as typos and incomplete sentences, but they will primarily look for whether or not the instructions work, that is, whether the instructions make sense.
They should ask several questions:
Author’s Role:
While the tester is testing the instructions, the authors of the instructions should watch SILENTLY and take notes. The author’s cannot speak or help the tester.
Remember, when most people use instructions, the writers are not present and users must figure things out on their own. You can only be an observer in this process, but you will definitely want to watch closely, listen to the tester talk about problems, and take notes so that you can fix your instructions in the revision process.
10 Minutes to make any necessary changes before you turn it in, if they are not complete you may turn in tomorrow with the instructor's approval.