Step by Step: Technical Writing Project

Goal: Through technical writing, teach a reader how to successfully perform a complex task.
Guidelines:
 Your instructions should provide the required information to perform a task that takes only 5-
10 minutes to learn and complete. Your reader should be able to carry out your instructions
without seeking help from other sources. Include sufficient detail and use terms your audience
will be able to understand.

 You have a lot of freedom when it comes to your topic. Your instructions could explain for
example:
 How to play a game you invented
 How to perform the newest dance craze
 How to make a cute craft to decorate your home, office, car dashboard, etc.
 How to write in a particular genre of poetry
 How to execute a computer/smart phone hack
 Or something else entirely

One important consideration to make is that your peers should be able to complete this task
without needing additional materials that can’t be typically found around the home. Consider
our remote learning environment when creating your task.

 Write instructions geared towards an audience who likely have never performed the task
before. Your audience must have a need for your instructions. If it can’t be followed by your
intended audience, it’s not finished.

 Your finished product will include a cover

page, table of contents, introduction, a
materials list, and procedure. You may need
to include other content such as definitions,
sidebars, warnings, and more

 The appearance of technical instructions is

just as important as the words themselves.
Think about ways you can visually make the
information accessible. You may include up
to 10 ORIGINAL graphics/photographs to
supplement your instructions. You MAY NOT
use images you find on the internet.

 To improve the final product, we will run usability tests for our instructions next week. These
tests evaluate the effectiveness of your instructions in the real world with real users.
 Technical Instructions Planning Guide
Use the following prompts to guide your pair’s thought process for writing proposal:
1. What am I good at? List skills, tricks, hacks, and other knowledge you have here:

Pick one of the above ideas to write your instructions about…or keep brainstorming…

2. Audience: Who is my audience? What do I know about them? What will they need to be able to
successfully follow my instructions?

3. What are some reasons that someone should learn my chosen task?