ELP 407 Instructions & Manuals PDF

ELP 407 Instructions & Manuals Dr. Norah Almusharraf 11/25/2024 Consider the following documents: a one-page assembly instructions sheet for a toy. an information booklet accompanying a sewing machine. a manual for some computer software. a broch...

ELP 407 Instructions & Manuals Dr. Norah Almusharraf 11/25/2024 Consider the following documents: a one-page assembly instructions sheet for a toy. an information booklet accompanying a sewing machine. a manual for some computer software. a brochure from the local council explaining how to position your rubbish bin for collection by a new automated rubbish truck. a note from one person (suddenly taken ill) to another, explaining how to perform a job role. 11/25/2024 Importance of these docs. ✓ They tell us how to achieve things! ❖ Many of these documents are now seen to be vital marketing tools for products and processes; if they are not done well, then potential customers won’t buy, and existing customers won’t buy again. 11/25/2024  Importance of these docs. ❖ Instructions and manuals also have important legal implications: if they are not written well, and something goes wrong because of ambiguous, confusing or incorrect text and visuals, then customers will sue (Lannon 2002). 11/25/2024  The audience ❖ Everyone! (but that is not terribly helpful.) ❖ There tend to be two types of manual: ❖ Manuals written for the general public — (e.g. a manual for a new washing machine). GENERAL ❖ Manuals written for a narrower group — (e.g. a service manual for a washing machine service person, a procedures manual for employees of a particular organisation). TECHNICAL 11/25/2024  Structure & Layout ❖ Key qualities of any manual or set of instructions are accessibility and user friendliness. 11/25/2024  Logical development Sequence Reinforcement Simplicity 11/25/2024  Sequence Stepwise development can be shown using one or several methods: ❑ from start to stop ❑ from simple to complex ❑ from input to output ❑ from outside to inside ❑ via case studies, tutorials, examples or scenarios. 11/25/2024  reinforcement Never presume that the user has read everything prior to a particular point in the document. To counteract this: ❑ don’t be afraid to repeat material, ❑ use cross-referencing and alert the user to any prior knowledge or competencies required for a particular section or chapter ❑ saying something twice in the one location: once in text, once in visuals 11/25/2024  Simplicity Remember to: ❑ Keep It Simple!! 11/25/2024  Language & Rapport ❑ Keep your language simple! ❑ Short sentences/paragraphs rather than long. ❑ Simple sentences rather than complex or compound ones. ❑ Active rather than passive voice. ❑ Rapport can be established with users in a number of ways: the personal pronoun ‘you’ can establish a conversational tone. For example, ‘If you load it in this way (Diagram B), then the mechanism can jam’. 11/25/2024  A Writing-Editing sequence to maximize usability ❑Usability: the extent to which a document or process or product can be understood and used. 11/25/2024 A Writing-Editing sequence to maximize usability 11/25/2024