Understanding the Writing Process for Instructions and Manuals • Analyze your audience and purpose. • Gather and organize your information. • Design the document. • Draft the document. • Revise, edit, and proofread the document. • Conduct usability tests of the document. Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1
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Understanding the Writing Process for Instructions and Manuals
• Analyze your audience and purpose.
• Gather and organize your information.
• Design the document.
• Draft the document.
• Revise, edit, and proofread the document.
• Conduct usability tests of the document.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
1
Questions to Consider in Designing a Set of Instructions
What are your reader’s expectations?
Do you need to create more than one set of instructions for different audiences?
What languages should you use?
Will the environment in which the instructions are read affect the document design?
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Questions to Consider in Designing the Pages
Should you make your pages multilingual?
Will readers be anxious about the information?
Will the environment in which the instructions are read affect the page design or typography?
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
3
Guidelines for Designing Clear, Attractive Pages
Create an open, airy design.
Clearly relate the graphics to the text.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Steps in Planning for Safety
Write effective safety information.
Design effective safety information.
Place safety information in the appropriate location.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Signal Words in Safety Labels
• Danger: an immediate and serious hazard that will likely be fatal
• Warning: potential for serious injury or death or serious damage to equipment
• Caution: potential for anything from moderate injury to serious equipment damage or destruction
• Note: a tip or suggestion to help readers carry out the procedure successfully
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Elements of a Set of Instructions
• title
• general introduction
• step-by-step instructions
• conclusion
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Forms of Titles for Instructions
Effective titles:
How-to. “How to Install the J112 Shock Absorbers”
Gerund. “Installing the J112 Shock Absorber”
Ineffective titles: Noun strings.
“J112 Shock Absorber Installation Instructions”Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Questions to Consider in Drafting Introductions for Instructions
• Who should carry out the task?
• Why should the reader carry out this task?
• When should the reader carry out this task?
• What safety measures or other concerns should the reader understand?
• What items will the reader need?
• How long will the task take?
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Guidelines for Drafting Steps in Instructions
• Number the instructions.
• Present the right amount of information in each step.
• Use the imperative mood.
• Don’t confuse steps and feedback statements.
• Include graphics.
• Do not omit the articles (a, an, the) to save space.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Questions to Answer in Drafting the Front Matter of a Manual
• Who should use this manual?
• What product, procedure, or system does the manual describe?
• What is the manual’s purpose?
• What are the manual’s major components?
• How should the manual be used?
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Guidelines for Drafting the Body of a Manual
• Structure the body according to how the reader will use it.
• Write clearly.
• Be informal, if appropriate.
• Use graphics.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Two Approaches to Revising a Manual
• Publish a "new" manual.
• Publish a "revised" manual.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Questions to Consider in Planning Manuals for Multicultural Readers
• In what language should the information be written?
• Do the text or graphics need to be modified?
• What is the reader’s technological infrastructure?
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Basic Principles of Usability Testing
It permeates product development.
It involves studying real users as they use the product.
It involves setting measurable goals and determining whether the product meets them.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Planning a Usability Test
Understand your users’ needs.
Determine the purpose of the test.
Staff the test team.
Set up the test environment.
Develop a test plan.
Select participants.
Prepare the test materials.
Conduct a pilot test.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Important Aspects of Conducting the Usability Test
staying organized
interacting with the participant
debriefing the participant
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Interpreting and Reporting the Data
Tabulate the information.
Analyze the information.
Report the information.
Chapter 19. Writing Instructions and Manuals © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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