Examples of Good Instructions

As IT students work on their instructions for operation of MP3 players, phones and other devices, we will continually look for great examples of instructions.  Here are a few to start:

• Instructions for logging onto FTP PRo. 
• On-line instructions for creating a recycling poster
• Advice on designing scientific posters - Although this information is long in its content, there are plenty of great visual examples.

Stevens Estate in North Andover

photo by Mrs. Messman

Members of the Graphic Communication shop are producing work for the Stevens Estate in North Andover. Here, one of the student posters can be seen on display at the recent Valentine's Day Reception.

Instructions: How to Write for Busy, Grouchy People

Did the title of this post grab your attention?! It certainly got mine! As I perused documentation for my Information Technology students, I came across this article from Dennis Jerz of Seton Hill College in Pennsylvania; it addresses how to write instructions for busy, grouchy people.  As students work in their small groups to develop technical instructions (for parents) they need to keep in mind that most people hate to read instructions.

The Stevens Estate

photo by Mrs. Messman
Graphic Communication students are working with the Stevens Estate in North Andover. Our classes visited the estate and met with the Estate Manager, Mrs. Laura Gifford. As part of their Q3 work, they are producing communication pieces for specific target audiences. Look for student work and photos to be posted soon.

According to the website, TeacherTap, "Writing quality instructions require a knowledge of the hardware or software, as well as skills in writing." Check out their article on Writing How To's (PDF document)  file to learn more about writing step-by-step instructions. 

The website further states that, "...regardless of whether you're working with children or adults, there are many things to consider when writing step-by-step instructions: What's the reading level of the user? What is their experience with computers? What specifically do you want your learner to do? How can you provide the most independent environment for your learner?

As we begin to explore creating our own technical documentation, we need to keep all of this in mind.

Technical Instructions

There's nothing like great instructions. You read, you do and you're done. But everything in life doesn't have great instructions. That seems especially true when it comes to handling technical information.

Here is a great article about how to get started with creating Quick Reference Guides.