You might find it beneficial to reflect on your experiences with a given type of document–including those you have made and those made by others that you have used. Let’s do this with instructions.
After watching this week’s lecture, I would like you to write a brief memo of at least 250 words reflecting on instructions. There are two main things that I would like you to respond to in your reflection: (1) Discuss a good set of instructions that you’ve used before, (2) Discuss a bad set of instructions that you’ve used before, and (3) Write some ideas that you have about how to make technical instructions useful and engaging.
When you have completed your memo, copy-and-paste it into a comment added to this post on our OpenLab Course Site.
TO: Prof. Jason Ellis
FROM: Pranta Dutta
DATE: March 22, 2021
SUBJECT: reflecting on instructions.
1. Discuss a good set of instructions that you’ve used before
When I first bought a TV for myself, and that was a good set of instructions that I have used before. I had no idea how to set up and browse through its interface since it was a smart tv. But its instruction manual was so helpful, and it had so many pictures showing what to do next, which port does what, etc.
2. Discuss a bad set of instructions that you’ve used before
One bad set of instructions I can think of is my recent purchase of GoPro. The camera itself is confusing to operate, but I find its instructions kind of vague. They showed the picture on how to open the battery slot, & I followed their instructions but could not open it. It was designed in such a way so that water cannot get into the battery and SD card compartment. Then I went to YouTube to see how to open it. They showed us how to do it & then I managed to open it on the first try. If their instruction were so direct & understandable, then I wouldn’t have to go to YouTube for further instructions.
3. Write some ideas that you have about how to make technical instructions useful and engaging.
One of my ideas is to make technical instructions useful and engaging is by utilizing visualizations. Because a statistic says, approximately 65 percent of the population are visual learners. Therefore, if we include more pictures and fewer words; then, I believe we can make it more useful and engaging.
TO: Prof. Jason Ellis
FROM: Oluwatomi Isaac
DATE: March 22, 2021
SUBJECT: Reflecting on instructions.
1. Discuss a good set of instructions that you’ve used before
When I bought this automatic lift desk from Costco, I thought it was going to be something that’s going to be very simple but when I opened the box. I see it as an easy thing and it was so easy for me to set up. All the instructions were really easy I was able to get it set-up.
2. Discuss a bad set of instructions that you’ve used before
One bad set of instructions that I could think of is when I bought this scanner thingy to diagnose the problems of my car. I didn’t really understand it and the codes were far different when you look it up online. It didn’t really come with instructions that could guide you with what to do when it’s put in and every car had very different compatibles.
3. Write some ideas that you have about how to make technical instructions useful and engaging.
One of my ideas is to make technical instructions useful and engaging is by virtual enouncement. Meaning, I believe verbal and visual demonstrations goes a long way into making everything good. I believe people often learn better when shown to them virtually or hands on.
TO: Prof.Ellis
FROM: Jerry Chen
DATE: 3/22/2021
SUBJECT: Reflecting on instructions
1. discuss a good set of instructions that you’ve used before.
In my opinion, what makes a good instruction manual is the manual itself needs to be very clear and detail, and also can address all the questions the users might have while using the manual. A good instruction manual that I have used before is used to set up the eero router. The manual eero provided is very detail and clear and guided me step by step to set the router up.
2. discuss a bad set of instructions that you’ve used before.
A bad instruction manual is basically the opposite of a good instruction manual, where the manual itself is very unclear and can’t address all the questions the users might have while using that manual. A not detailed manual can be sort as the pieces of trash papers. A bad instruction manual that I have used before is IKEA’s instruction manual. It only provided pictures of how to put all the parts together step by step. However, it never provided any written detail to address the concerns the customers might have while assembly the stuff. IKEA instruction manual confused me most of the time and even took longer than expected time to figured out how to assemble correctly.
3. write some ideas that you have about how to make technical instructions useful and engaging.
One of my ideas is to make technical instructions useful and engaging is by providing images and written detail to guide the user step by step to understanding the main concept of the manual. An instruction manual that doesn’t provide images or written details is definitely a useless manual.
TO: Prof. Jason Ellis
FROM: Mahir Faisal
DATE: March 29, 2021
SUBJECT: reflecting on instruction manuals
1. Discuss a good set of instructions that you have used before
When I first bought laptop for myself, and it was precise set of instructions that I have used before. I had no idea how to set up interface since it was a laptop. But its instruction manual was extremely useful, and it had so many pictures illustrating the steps and which function does what.
2. Discuss a bad set of instructions that you have used before
One bad set of instructions I can think of is my recent purchase of a furniture. The furniture was confusing to assemble, but I find its instructions not clear. They showed the picture on how to assemble the furniture, & I followed their instructions but could not understand it. Then I went to YouTube to see how to join it. If their instruction were so direct & understandable, then I would not have to go to YouTube for further instructions.
3. Write some ideas that you have about how to make technical instructions useful and engaging.
One of my ideas is to make technical instructions useful and engaging is by improvising visualizations. Because approximately 70 percent of the population are visual learners. Therefore, if we put more pictures and fewer words; then, I believe we can make it more useful and engaging.
TO: Prof. Jason Ellis
FROM: Chowdhury Hashmee
DATE: March 30, 2021
SUBJECT: reflecting on instructions.
1. Discuss a good set of instructions that you’ve used before.
A good set of instruction that I used before is fixing my cars Flat tire. I had no Idea of how to change tires in your car in case you have a flat tire. At first, I was panicking. I used YouTube which helped me a lot. I used the instructions in the video. I realized that I had an extra tire in the back of my trunk which can be used to change my flat tire and go to a mechanic shop to get a new tire. That instruction the video helped me a lot.
2. Discuss a bad set of instructions that you’ve used before
The bad sets of instruction that I used before would be in an Internship that I did. I was doing an internship as a tech support and I was given some manuals to fix a machine that I have never seen in my life before. I had to make a connection with the Antenna, the Cradle point, and the Switch. The instruction that was given to me was not clear at all. I google some of the steps but there were no instructions in google as well. I had to figure everything all by myself. After doing that I wrote a manual of my own on how to do those things.
3. Write some ideas that you have about how to make technical instructions useful and engaging.
I would say practical things are important when making a technical instruction useful and engaging. When someone visualize something technical in front of you, not only you learn about it quickly, but also find it interesting.
TO: Prof. Jason Ellis
FROM: Mohammad Amin
DATE: 04/07/2021
SUBJECT: Reflecting on instructions.
1. Discuss a good set of instructions that you’ve used before
When I first bought a vacuums cleaner for house, and that was a good set of instructions that I have used before. I had no idea how to set the vacuum cleaners. But its instruction manual was so helpful, and it had so many pictures showing what to do next, which port does what, etc.
2. Discuss a bad set of instructions that you’ve used before
One bad set of instructions that I could think of is when I bought this CCTV camera thingy to more secure the house. I didn’t really understand it and the manual book was different when you look it up online. This manual did not have proper details on how to connect a port with a port. when it’s put in and every camera had very different compatibles.
3. Write some ideas that you have about how to make technical instructions useful and engaging.
One of my ideas is to make technical instructions useful and engaging is by utilizing visualizations. I believe verbal and visual demonstrations goes a long way into making everything good. a statistic says, approximately 65 percent of the population are visual learners. I believe people often learn better when shown to them visualization or hands on.