1. Making an instruction manual
Showing the Steps

2. objectives When you finish this activity, you will be able to:
Visualize the vital courses of action involved in using a product or completing a process
Document those processes in an easy-to-comprehend manner
Utilize photographs to create a final product
Strategize a creative vision and implement it

3. What is an instruction manual?
Written and/or graphic instructions on how to create, construct or utilize something
Most products come with instructions
Even food!
Some manuals are more detailed than others, depending on the complexity of the product
Example Instruction Manual

4. Understand your product
Use the product first
Write down your first impressions as you are using it
Especially important to write down things that are difficult to do with the product

5. Analyze your audience Who will be reading and using your document?
Analyze traits such as prior knowledge, age, and familiarity with the product.
Have they used it before? What do they already know about how to use it? How much education do they need before they can use it?

6. Write an outline
Write down the most vital steps involved in using the product
These steps will be the ones you want to document.
It is impossible to document every scenario, so choose the ones that are most important to your audience

7. Document the process
Document the processes with the product in front of you
Use the product while writing down every step that you make
Test your instructions to make sure that they work and make sense
Take photos of each step to go along with your documentation

8. Test it! Test your manual for usability
Have your manual reviewed by someone other than your group members
Ask them to walk through the steps that you have documented in your manual
Make any necessary edits

9. Assignment: instruction manual
Select a product
Plan and strategize the manual, including your photo shoot(s) and written documentation
Write your documentation and take your photos
Follow the exact format in this student example: Example Instruction Manual

10. Assignment: instruction manual
Save your instruction manual to your H drive as [last name] Instruction Manual [class period] and submit to Mr. Nigrelli via Google Drive by the end of class on Friday, January 30th