INSTRUCTION-MANUAL ASSIGNMENT

INSTRUCTION-MANUAL ASSIGNMENT

Introduction In Unit 1: Foundations of Technical Communication, you will create a set of reader-centric instructions for building a Lego model of your own design using process-driven principles of technical communication. For this project, you will use a variety of communication modes including haptics or the perception of touch, proprioception, and manipulation of objects. While this project introduces you to the revision process at the heart of most if not all technical communication, it gives you a set of composition principles that you can adapt to your own needs and purposes in the workplace. The deliverables of this project include: • A proposal memo for creating a set of instructions for your Lego model design • A draft set of instructions for building your Lego model design • A memo reporting the findings of your instruction set usability testing • A revised set of instructions for building your Lego model design • A memo reflecting on how your instructions are reader-centric, how you created your instructions using a process, and how your instructions manage complexity. Your audience for this project should be your manager, who has tasked you with creating a marketing tool (the Lego set) for your company. To receive credit for this project, you must complete and submit all assigned deliverables. NOTE: • It is an email memo format • Make sure you include bullets point in your memo • You can include you email at the end of your memo; to look more original • You can include cost, department, trademark in your memo; to look more original • Your subject should be clear • Avoid the use of “I”. for example; I feel, I would like, I suggest. You are the person writing the memo and it is already implied. See the schedule below for all due dates for drafts and final deliverables. Step 1, Create your Lego model Using approximately 50 of your Lego bricks, build a model of a technology that in some way connects to your field of study or major interests. Take a photo of your model (make sure that your image is well lit, easy to see, and in focus), name it lastname.firstname.unit1.model.jpg and submit it to OpenLab under Assignments. Step 2, Write a proposal memo for creating a set of instructions Following the proposal memo format from the previous project, write a proposal for creating a set of instructions for building your Lego model that would be included with the model (printed sheet of instructions, printed poster, a YouTube video, a self-built website, something insanely innovative, etc.). Your proposal should not over deliver, because you will have to create the set of instructions within the time allowed for this project. Your proposal should include a description of your approach to the instructions, a description of one usability test with a representative set of customers/clients, and an explanation of your revision following testing. Name your proposal lastname.firstname.unit1.proposal.docx and submit it to OpenLab under Assignments. Step 3, Follow Your Proposal: Build Instructions, Test, Revise Using hand drawing, photography, videography, 3D modeling (LDRAW: http://www.ldraw.org, LIC: http://code.google.com/p/lic/, Lego Digital Designer: http://ldd.lego.com/en-us/download/), or something unprecedented and innovative, create a set of instructions that you believe anticipates the needs of your reader/user to easily and efficiently build your model. Name your instructions as lastname.firstname.unit1.instructions-draft.[appropriate extension] or copy a link to its location online. Submit your draft instructions to OpenLab under Assignments. Bring printouts of your instructions or a way of showing it to your test audience on the two days allocated for testing and interviews. You will trade instructions/Legos with one (or two) other persons during class. After building one another’s models, you will conduct a short interview and note the time taken to build the model. Write a brief memo summarizing your usability testing. This should include data collected from your interview and the time taken by each test user to build the model. Describe what you will do to revise your instruction set. Name this memo lastname.firstname.unit1.usability-memo.docx and upload to OpenLab under Assignments. Begin your instruction set revisions for your final deliverable submission. Your final revisions should add the professional polish that your instruction set deserves to represent your best work and the work indicative of your client’s brand. Step 4, Reflect on the project Finally, write a one page memo that serves as a reflection on the project, the process that you used, and any issues that you overcome during the process. Also, discuss how you are using multimodal synergy in your final, professional Lego instructions. Name this file lastname.firstname.unit1.reflection.docx. Step 5, Submit your project deliverables Before class the due date, submit all components and deliverables for this project. Submit all drafts and parts already submitted again to the final project assignment on OpenLab. Save all of your work—including anything online (such as on YouTube)—and submit it using

Instruction Manual Assignment

Introduction
In Unit 1: Foundations of Technical Communication, you will create a set of reader-centric instructions for building a Lego model of your own design using process-driven principles of technical communication. For this project, you will use a variety of communication modes including haptics or the perception of touch, proprioception, and manipulation of objects. While this project introduces you to the revision process at the heart of most if not all technical communication, it gives you a set of composition principles that you can adapt to your own needs and purposes in the workplace.

The deliverables of this project include:

• A proposal memo for creating a set of instructions for your Lego model design
• A draft set of instructions for building your Lego model design
• A memo reporting the findings of your instruction set usability testing
• A revised set of instructions for building your Lego model design
• A memo reflecting on how your instructions are reader-centric, how you created your instructions using a process, and how your instructions manage complexity.

Your audience for this project should be your manager, who has tasked you with creating a marketing tool (the Lego set) for your company.

To receive credit for this project, you must complete and submit all assigned deliverables.
NOTE:
• It is an email memo format
• Make sure you include bullets point in your memo
• You can include you email at the end of your memo; to look more original
• You can include cost, department, trademark in your memo; to look more original
• Your subject should be clear
• Avoid the use of “I”. for example; I feel, I would like, I suggest. You are the person writing the memo and it is already implied.

See the schedule below for all due dates for drafts and final deliverables.

Step 1, Create your Lego model
Using approximately 50 of your Lego bricks, build a model of a technology that in some way connects to your field of study or major interests. Take a photo of your model (make sure that your image is well lit, easy to see, and in focus), name it lastname.firstname.unit1.model.jpg and submit it to OpenLab under Assignments.

Step 2, Write a proposal memo for creating a set of instructions
Following the proposal memo format from the previous project, write a proposal for creating a set of instructions for building your Lego model that would be included with the model (printed sheet of instructions, printed poster, a YouTube video, a self-built website, something insanely innovative, etc.). Your proposal should not over deliver, because you will have to create the set of instructions within the time allowed for this project. Your proposal should include a description of your approach to the instructions, a description of one usability test with a representative set of customers/clients, and an explanation of your revision following testing.

Name your proposal lastname.firstname.unit1.proposal.docx and submit it to OpenLab under Assignments.

Step 3, Follow Your Proposal: Build Instructions, Test, Revise
Using hand drawing, photography, videography, 3D modeling (LDRAW: http://www.ldraw.org, LIC: http://code.google.com/p/lic/, Lego Digital Designer: http://ldd.lego.com/en-us/download/), or something unprecedented and innovative, create a set of instructions that you believe anticipates the needs of your reader/user to easily and efficiently build your model.

Name your instructions as lastname.firstname.unit1.instructions-draft.[appropriate extension] or copy a link to its location online. Submit your draft instructions to OpenLab under Assignments.

Bring printouts of your instructions or a way of showing it to your test audience on the two days allocated for testing and interviews. You will trade instructions/Legos with one (or two) other persons during class. After building one another’s models, you will conduct a short interview and note the time taken to build the model.

Write a brief memo summarizing your usability testing. This should include data collected from your interview and the time taken by each test user to build the model. Describe what you will do to revise your instruction set. Name this memo lastname.firstname.unit1.usability-memo.docx and upload to OpenLab under Assignments.

Begin your instruction set revisions for your final deliverable submission. Your final revisions should add the professional polish that your instruction set deserves to represent your best work and the work indicative of your client’s brand.

Step 4, Reflect on the project
Finally, write a one page memo that serves as a reflection on the project, the process that you used, and any issues that you overcome during the process. Also, discuss how you are using multimodal synergy in your final, professional Lego instructions. Name this file lastname.firstname.unit1.reflection.docx.

Step 5, Submit your project deliverables
Before class the due date, submit all components and deliverables for this project. Submit all drafts and parts already submitted again to the final project assignment on OpenLab. Save all of your work—including anything online (such as on YouTube)—and submit it using

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