Difference between revisions of "Instructions"
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The intro text. | The intro text. | ||
|...by students= | |...by students= | ||
− | + | <big>'''If you are ever going to write instructions on something technical, please read this'''</big> | |
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Over the years, I've had many experiences using instructions. Some of these experiences have been good (Lego), but the majority have been terribly frustrating. At times I would spend hours searching the internet for instructions on how to do some technical task; oh, I would find instructions, but finding '''usable''' instructions was something that happened all too rarely. Below I will detail some disturbingly common mistakes that should at all costs be avoided. | Over the years, I've had many experiences using instructions. Some of these experiences have been good (Lego), but the majority have been terribly frustrating. At times I would spend hours searching the internet for instructions on how to do some technical task; oh, I would find instructions, but finding '''usable''' instructions was something that happened all too rarely. Below I will detail some disturbingly common mistakes that should at all costs be avoided. | ||
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− | + | '''Write for your audience, not for yourself.''' | |
− | + | Too often I find instructions that lead the reader blindly through a series of steps, with the expectation that nothing will go wrong and everything will magically fall into place, even though the reader is given no clues as to what the strings he's expected to type into the unix terminal actually do, or even what the expected output is. The phrase "RTFM" comes to mind, but often each step only vaguely hints at what one might have to look up in a manual to understand it, or where one might begin to start looking for these manuals. I may be preaching to the choir here, but it's critical to put yourself in your audience's shoes. (Please excuse my rampant use of clichés.) | |
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− | + | '''So these instructions do what?''' | |
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+ | More often than not, instructions I find will not include a sufficient introduction (or sometimes '''no''' introduction), and I will have to read and understand the instructions (sometimes in their entirety) before I finally learn what they do. Needless to say, the instructions I read often don't do the thing that I'm trying to find instructions on doing. Always have a clear introduction that says what following your instructions will accomplish. | ||
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+ | '''Oh yeah, you were supposed to have the DirectX 7.1 SDK and .NET Framework 2.0 installed on a Windows ME machine.''' | ||
Tell the reader what the required software and hardware is '''before''' listing all the steps, instead of, well, not at all. It's incredibly frustrating to actually try out instructions almost all the way to the end, and then find out they were doomed from the start. I usually learn this saddening news from another poor soul who's tried the instructions and failed, who had the brains and kind heart to share a "yeah, this doesn't work unless..." comment. | Tell the reader what the required software and hardware is '''before''' listing all the steps, instead of, well, not at all. It's incredibly frustrating to actually try out instructions almost all the way to the end, and then find out they were doomed from the start. I usually learn this saddening news from another poor soul who's tried the instructions and failed, who had the brains and kind heart to share a "yeah, this doesn't work unless..." comment. | ||
− | + | <big>'''A Note about Graphics'''</big> | |
− | In class (Technical Communication class of course), we were discussing instructions, and students were sharing their most recent examples of using instructions. Every one of the testimonials hinged on either the fact that it had useful graphics and was useful, or had not-so-useful graphics and was useless | + | |
+ | In class (Technical Communication class of course), we were discussing instructions, and students were sharing their most recent examples of using instructions. Every one of the testimonials hinged on either the fact that it had useful graphics and was useful, or had not-so-useful graphics and was useless. There are simply things that text can not explain as clearly or as quickly as an image. Relevant diagrams or images can make instructions incredibly easy to follow. Lack of relevant diagrams, as many can attest, can be crippling. | ||
− | I was reading instructions in a manual for a PDA and its various attachments - all the attachments were nicely labeled in a diagram, which was all well and good; until the instructions told me to connect something to the PDA that was '''not''' labeled in the diagram. What was this mystery attachment? Was it part of one of the other attachments? Was it an alternate name for one of the labeled attachments? Not one to | + | I was reading instructions in a manual for a PDA and its various attachments - all the attachments were nicely labeled in a diagram, which was all well and good; until the instructions told me to connect something to the PDA that was '''not''' labeled in the diagram. What was this mystery attachment? Was it part of one of the other attachments? Was it an alternate name for one of the labeled attachments? Not one to appreciate the joys of plugging random combinations of attachments into the wall and connecting them to the university-owned Pocket PC, I promptly halted my instructional adventure. |
|Chapter_TOC=[[Common Components]]}} | |Chapter_TOC=[[Common Components]]}} |
Revision as of 23:12, 9 April 2008
Introduction
The intro text.
Contents
|
...by studentsIf you are ever going to write instructions on something technical, please read this Over the years, I've had many experiences using instructions. Some of these experiences have been good (Lego), but the majority have been terribly frustrating. At times I would spend hours searching the internet for instructions on how to do some technical task; oh, I would find instructions, but finding usable instructions was something that happened all too rarely. Below I will detail some disturbingly common mistakes that should at all costs be avoided.
Too often I find instructions that lead the reader blindly through a series of steps, with the expectation that nothing will go wrong and everything will magically fall into place, even though the reader is given no clues as to what the strings he's expected to type into the unix terminal actually do, or even what the expected output is. The phrase "RTFM" comes to mind, but often each step only vaguely hints at what one might have to look up in a manual to understand it, or where one might begin to start looking for these manuals. I may be preaching to the choir here, but it's critical to put yourself in your audience's shoes. (Please excuse my rampant use of clichés.)
More often than not, instructions I find will not include a sufficient introduction (or sometimes no introduction), and I will have to read and understand the instructions (sometimes in their entirety) before I finally learn what they do. Needless to say, the instructions I read often don't do the thing that I'm trying to find instructions on doing. Always have a clear introduction that says what following your instructions will accomplish.
Tell the reader what the required software and hardware is before listing all the steps, instead of, well, not at all. It's incredibly frustrating to actually try out instructions almost all the way to the end, and then find out they were doomed from the start. I usually learn this saddening news from another poor soul who's tried the instructions and failed, who had the brains and kind heart to share a "yeah, this doesn't work unless..." comment.
In class (Technical Communication class of course), we were discussing instructions, and students were sharing their most recent examples of using instructions. Every one of the testimonials hinged on either the fact that it had useful graphics and was useful, or had not-so-useful graphics and was useless. There are simply things that text can not explain as clearly or as quickly as an image. Relevant diagrams or images can make instructions incredibly easy to follow. Lack of relevant diagrams, as many can attest, can be crippling. I was reading instructions in a manual for a PDA and its various attachments - all the attachments were nicely labeled in a diagram, which was all well and good; until the instructions told me to connect something to the PDA that was not labeled in the diagram. What was this mystery attachment? Was it part of one of the other attachments? Was it an alternate name for one of the labeled attachments? Not one to appreciate the joys of plugging random combinations of attachments into the wall and connecting them to the university-owned Pocket PC, I promptly halted my instructional adventure.
Guidelines for InstructionsThe textbook covers several guidelines for writing good instructions. Here we will emphasize how each guideline can assist the reader and help avoid frustration. Guideline 1: Select the Correct Technical LevelKnow your audience! You'll want to write your instructions in such a way that your least technical readers can understand them. Use language that all readers can understand, defining terms beforehand as needed. Guideline 2: Provide Introductory InformationProviding proper introductory information is key. Instructions should follow the ABC format (Abstract/Body/Conclusion). An introduction should include:
Other introductory information that may help readers:
Guideline 3: Use Numbered Lists in the BodyInstructions are much easier to read as lists of steps, rather than longer paragraphs. Keep in mind that readers may frequently switch their attention between your instructions and the actual task. Using numbered lists, readers can always know what step they're at. Guideline 4: Group Steps under Task HeadingsIt is a good idea to group steps into logical, labeled stages, rather than using one long list with no groupings. This will help the reader both follow and better understand the process. Guideline 5: Place One Action in a StepFor exactly the same reasons that you shouldn't put several steps in a lengthy paragraph, you should also avoid putting multiple actions in one step. Unless two actions are to be done at the same time, each step should have no more than one action. Readers shouldn't have to read through lengthy steps to figure out which part of the step they're in. Guideline 6: Lead off Each Action Step with a VerbStarting a step with a verb lets the reader immediately know what action is required in the step. Guideline 7: Remove Extra Information from the StepTo avoid lengthy steps, separate the action from any extra information, and keep the action at the beginning of the step. It is common to include extra information in a "note" right after the action. Note: This note is demonstrating the use of a note. Guideline 8: Use Bullets or Letters for EmphasisTo emphasize certain information or to make longer steps more readable, use bullets or lettered lists. (Numbered lists should be avoided if your steps are already using numbers.) You should be seeing an important trend by now: instructions should be as easy as possible to read at a glance. Guideline 9: Emphasize Cautions, Warnings, and DangersHighlighting risks is an important obligation. The following three terms (in increasing order of seriousness) are commonly used to denote risks:
You may choose to put cautions, warnings, and dangers immediately before the instructions; this is best when the risks are associated with the entire procedure. Another option is to placing the warnings inside the instructions, along with the steps they apply to. It is best to put the warning before the actual action. In addition, use formatting to make any cautions/warnings/dangers visually stand out. Guideline 10: Keep a Simple StyleAgain, keeping a simple style that's easy to read is paramount. The textbook suggests techniques to accomplish this:
Guideline 11: Use GraphicsGraphics/illustrations can be extremely important, especially when your instructions deal with equipment. Use graphics for every major step if the instructions are complicated to understand without graphics, or if readers may be in a hurry, or poor at reading. Otherwise, it's often useful to include at least a few diagrams for the entire set of instructions. Tables can also be incredibly helpful. If you can use a table to display data or matching pairs of information, then you probably should. Guideline 12: Test Your InstructionsIf possible, get someone to try out your instructions. Observed results and feedback can uncover problems that would otherwise not be fixed. Example InstructionsBelow are example instructions to demonstrate the use of the guidelines. The final section on this page will discuss this example, and give additional tips, and some exceptions to using the guidelines. PrefaceThese instructions detail the preparation of a Blizzard/McFlurry (or other similar ice cream or frozen yogurt treat) using given fast-food machinery, for the purpose of serving a customer. The presumed audience is someone completely new to the process of making this delicious item, who has no outside assistance at the moment. As such, the instructions need to be thorough, as well as easy to understand and follow. Note: These instructions assume the reader already has the required machinery and materials at hand, and has at least a vague idea of what a Blizzard is. The InstructionsMaking a Blizzard To make a Blizzard, follow the instructions below. Making a Blizzard involves first putting ice cream and toppings in a cup, and then blending them together using a blending machine.
Filling the cup:
Blending:
Serving:
Clean-up:
Discussion of the ExampleGuideline 1: Select the Correct Technical LevelThese instructions have been prefaced by a description of the audience. It's good to target the "lowest common denominator" - that is, the readers with the least technical knowledge on the subject. It's also good to not go overboard; in this example, it's reasonable to assume the reader knows what cups and spoons are. Guideline 2: Provide Introductory InformationBefore getting into the steps, the introduction includes a purpose statement (sort of), a summary of the main steps, a list of materials, definitions of unfamiliar terms, and a description of the blending machine. Guideline 3: Use Numbered Lists in the BodyGuideline 4: Group Steps under Task HeadingsGuideline 5: Place One Action in a StepGuideline 6: Lead off Each Action Step with a VerbGuideline 7: Remove Extra Information from the StepGuideline 8: Use Bullets or Letters for EmphasisGuideline 9: Emphasize Cautions, Warnings, and DangersGuideline 10: Keep a Simple StyleGuideline 11: Use Graphics====Guideline 12: Test Your Instructions==== |