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Well-written instructions are one of life’s little luxurious.
It’s something that many don’t recognize or appreciate until they are faced with a set of highly confusing tasks, which often results in fury. Instructional writing is a detailed process that requires thought, time, and testing.
Audience and task analyses are crucial to identify before writing begins. This lets the writer understand who the audience is and their level of familiarity with the product, allowing the writer to determine the appropriate form and tone. Outlining the number of tasks needed to complete the process also helps define the best approach.
Writing instructions for my DIY bird feeder was a challenge. While I made several of them in the past, I never had to explain how it was done. Removing the assumption that the audience possessed the same level of knowledge was the most difficult aspect. This took several drafts of instructions and testing before a clear set was produced. Photos of each step were included to provide the audience with visual aids.
The instructional writing techniques I learned are highly-applicable to user research. When conducting usability tests, researchers must deliver well-articulated tasks to the participants. Unclear instructions could increase participant frustration which may hinder their ability to complete tasks. If the participant has to ask clarifying questions about the tasks, the test is unsuccessful.