Writing Instructions
Writing online help and online or print manuals require that we apply effective instruction-writing and design strategies. The PURPOSE of an instructional document is just that -- to instruct readers in how to use something -- that something may be a mechanism of some sort or some software program or navigational system online. Unlike other web pages or print documents (brochures, sales letters, etc) that may be written and presented to "lure" consumers or sell a product or service, instructional writing strategies help the reader perform a task.
However, most important in the process is FIRST, identifying and analyzing our readers -- those people who will have to USE the instructions. The Audience Analysis strategies are the same, regardless of our medium. So, answering the following questions is a good place to start when we are planning and organizing helpful online support pages and/or instructional materials in print form:
 | What level of knowledge do my primary readers have about. . . . ? |
| What level of reading ability do my readers have? |
| What level of experience with . . . .do my readers have? |
| Does gender matter? If so, how will I handle any possible gender issues or bias? |
| What age group(s) do my primary readers belong to? |
| What percentage of these instructions will the readers be required to learn or or memorize for later use? |
| What kinds of information and help will most readers be looking for? |
| Who are my supervisory and peripheral (secondary) readers? (legal department, sales associates, help desk personnel, other technicians?) |
| Do my primary readers speak and write English as a second language? |
| Will readers primarily remain online when using the instructions, or will they want to print (or even buy) a hard copy? What is the medium for presentation and how will this affect the design of the instructions? |
| What other information is important to identify about my readers? |
| How much technical terminology can my readers understand? |
| What kinds of tools and/or materials will they need to have on hand? |
| How much explanation and functional description do they need and want to
know? * |
| **From: Cynthia Jeney, Writing for the Web. Pearson, Prentice Hall - 2007, p. 138-9 |