Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Team 13
Preparing Instructions and Manuals
Andy Isder & Khushboo Shakya

In this chapter, the term "instructions" refers to all kinds of instructional texts including instructional sheets, electronic help systems, print manuals, training scripts, and tutorials.

Objectives and outcomes
-Ensuring Instructions are useable by combating audience misunderstanding, using principles of adult learning, and confronting aliteracy
-Analyze task, audience, and genre
-Effectively use content elements of instructions
-Provide necessary warnings and cautions

Getting People's Attention

Instructions and manuals have an immediate prupose; to enable users to complete tasks. Three critical concerns:Lack of audience understanding, Adult Learning, and aliteracy can influence whether instructions are actually usuable.

-Begin each instruction with general information to help organize and contextualize it, such as "this instruction is in two parts".
-Simplify the language

Principles of Adult Learning

Adults like to be self directed.Instructions can provide tools for users to self-assess their prior knnowledge and experience and then move to any appropriate place in the instructions.

Adults want a reason for doing or learning something. Instructions can provide reasons for using them as a whole as well as reasons for using subsections.

Adults have prior knowledge and experiences that help them complete tasks. Instructions can use metaphors, analogies, and examples that draw on prior knowledge and experiences.

Adults have goals. Instructions can help users decide how the information fits with their goals.

Adults focus on what is practical and useful. Instructions focus on practical informantion-what, why, and how. They can also identify benefits.

Adults are internally motivated by factors such as relationships and intellectual interests. Instructions can provide users with options-how to approach a task, how to use the information, how to manage problems. Instructions can also address users in a way that encourages them to continue because they'll recieve help.

Addressing Aliteracy

Aliterate can read, but they simply choose not to. They don't want to, don't like to, don't want to take the time to, or don't think they need to. Here are some characteristics of aliteracy.

Scanning text as a regular practive rather than reading tex, whether print or electronic.
Depending on visuals rather than words for information.
Depending on icons, symbols, and logos rather than words for information.
Imbuing color, shape, position, and size with meaning to avoid written language.
Substituting various kinds of electronic communication (for example, Web sites, TV,radio, CD's, audio tapes, movies, videos, DVD's) for printed texts whenever possible.

Considering Task, Audience, and Genre

Analyzing task, audience, and genre is critical as you plan and design instructions. Skipping these analysis reduces the accessibility, comprehensibility, and usability of your instructions.

Analyzing the Task has four catagories
-Actions/behavior of personnel
-Assembly of objects or mechanisms
-Operation of equiptment
-Implementation of a process

Adapting Task to Audience
When chunking and labeling are ignored in instructions, users have difficulty differentiating the background information from the task to be completed and may not be sure what they're actually supposed to do.

Considering Instructions for International Audiences
As the global economy makes products available to more people around the works, instructions need to be acessible to a broad range of users who come from very different cultures and have varying egrees of literacy. Two approaces can adaps instructions to international audiences.
-Provide instructions translated into multiple languages
-Use visuals that are likely to be understood in many cultures
Expect the visuals to carry much of the meaning. The conventions in the illustrations make the steps in the process easy to understand with international icons, numbered steps, human involvement, and close-ups.
-Provide an easy-to-use table of contents or common navigation structure as well as introductory visual maps that help users understand how to use the instructions.
-Be consistent in the way that words, links, and visuals are used.
-If words or visuals work equally well to convey information, choose the visuals. Whenever possible, illistrate text with visuals.

Visual elements:
Effective visual s are the critical components of instructions. Combination of verbal and visual component is useful in instructions. Visuals can be used to illustrate a variety of elements:
· Parts, tooling , equipment
· Sequence of steps
· Positioning of the operator and /or equipment
· Development or change of object or equipment
· Screens and pull down menus in software development.

Professionals prefer keeping visuals as simple as possible in instructions. Drawing are preferred than photographs as they are more clear and can be used to high the main important parts.

Visual and Verbal balance:
Having visuals in instruction to complete the task quickly with less anxiety. For example the book Access for Everyone: A Guide to Accessibility with references to ADAAG[Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines] balances visual and verbal information.

Accurate visuals:
Visuals should be used as a part of direction and not just a decorative addition. Hence writers and artists should work collaboratively to develop an effective instruction. Appropriate visuals at appropriate place can reduce a lot of misunderstanding. However even relevant pictures of inappropriate size can affect user’s ability to interpret. Visuals should always be labeled with an indication if scale.
Too small, user won’t be able to identify the important parts of the subject. Full view drawing should be accompanied by enlargement of a crucial part.

Primary Visual Instructions
Although sign and symbols are easier to understand, they don’t usually have universal meaning. For example the arrow sign in the carton box may indicate the top of the carton or it may indicate the carton’s most stable position. Color coding plays an important role in emphasis and differentiation between two similar parts.

Safety Standard:
Safety signs emphasizes on legibility rather than information. People don’t read all the information on signs. Distinct colors are used. The color indicates the degree of danger.
Warning Labels and Cartoons: Warning labels and cartoons provide a mean of communicating information to an audience. Cartoons can help the audience to visualize difficult steps and help overcome language and cultural differences for international audiences. However technical writer must be aware of varying interpretation.

Adequacy:
Information on a product should be accurate and adequate. Information can be instruction or warning. Technical professionals should be sure that their work satisfies the legal requirements for adequacy. One should be sure that their work contains enough instruction for the usage of the product and enough warning to potential risks and dangers.