The Instructions Assignment
Project Date Range: September 26-October 24
Deadlines: Staggered.
Materials Required: Legos, WikiSpaces wiki
Materials Suggested: Basic digital camera. (The one on your phone is fine.) You will need to provide illustrations, but other options besides photos may be appropriate.
Individual Points: 300
Assignment Details:
Over the next month, you will work with a partner to create an instructions set for a Lego-based project. These illustrated instructions will be presented in digital format using a free WikiSpaces wiki. The purpose of this assignment is for you to gain experience in:
creating concise, easily-understood instructions
incorporating basic graphics as communication rather than ornamentation
creating effective, navigable web-based documents
conducting user testing
collaborative production
The final document will instruct your audience in how to assemble a Lego Object of your own creation. You can make almost anything you'd like, as long as it's yours. (That means no pre-designed Lego Kits [Lego X-Wing Fighter, Lego Hogwarts, etc.]) The design needs to be fairly simple but not too simple, and we'll talk about what that means below.
About the Legos:
You may be wondering: "Why in the world is she making us use Legos? Are we not adults here?!? Are we not concerned with real-world applications?" You most certainly are, and we most certainly are. Here's the thing: there are two real, serious, transferable skill sets that this assignment is designed for. One is learning to write and test usable instructions (obviously), and the other is learning to work online. This second aspect is increasingly vital in today's transnational business environment, where you may find yourself working from New York with a team that has members in San Diego, London, and Tokyo.
The Legos help us keep things consistent and simple so that you can better focus on the work of writing and collaborating. This way, you both have access to the same parts, more or less, and are working within the same parameters. If we were doing something like instructions for building a shed or making a recipe, there would be a ton of variables that you'd have to contend with.
About the Wikis:
WikiSpaces is extremely easy to use -- not quite as easy as FaceBook, but as easy as Blogger. Here's a link to WikiSpaces: http://www.wikispaces.com . You need to create an account and then set up your wiki. Be sure to select the free, basic plan from the account options. When you're done reading through the assignment here, click over there and take a look around. The setup is pretty intuitive, but if you need detailed instructions, check out the "Help" section.
Task Guidelines:
You and your partner may choose to work together on everything or to divide responsibilities in a number of ways. Here are some typical jobs that this assignment requires, along with relevant details and tasks.
For Designers:
· All designs must use between 30-50 pieces.
· All designs must have at least four modular " sub-assemblies" which fit together.
· Be open to suggestions from your writers and illustrators to make sure that your masterpiece can be described and constructed easily.
· Simply modifying an existing Lego kit (i.e. Lego Hogwart's or Lego X-wing Fighter) is unacceptable.
For Writers and Editors:
· Instructions should have a complete parts list.
· Try to anticipate problem spots where a user might encounter difficulty in assembling the product.
· Instructions must have at least ten steps, presented either in a modular or sequential fashion.
· Be sure to communicate with the illustrator about which parts of the assembly may need illustrations to prevent assembly errors.
· Communicate with the designer and suggest revisions if the design does not lend itself well to instruction design. However, the designer has final say in what the product looks like.
For Illustrators:
· Your basic instructions cannot show a full view of the finished item, though it is permissible and suggested that the modular parts are shown in at least a rough fashion.
· Photographs or sketches must be digitized so that they can be included in the digital document. Scanning could be a way to digitize.
· Include a sketch or photograph of the final item in the packet you prepare to turn in.
· Communicate with the designer about parts that are difficult to depict, and suggest a different modular design to make sketches of the component parts more effective.
For Usability Engineers:
· Devise a method for testing your instructions, such as read-and-locate tests or timed tests on the assembly.
· A usability test result report will be part of the final project. You must anticipate what potential problems will be before the product is tested and list them in your report.
· The final project will include not only your anticipated problems, but empirical data from a real usability test which lists modifications made to the instructions to address these issues.
· Be sure to include data on the amount of time spent reading the instructions versus assembly time. Do users use your instructions? Do they have to refer to them constantly during the process, or do they simply read and then execute them?
· Make sure that the instructions allow for error. How can a user troubleshoot the results if their results do not match the instructions?
· Communicate effectively with the writer and illustrator to make sure that your instructions show effective revision.
Content Guidelines:
Each wiki must contain the following elements:
· Home page: This should focus on introducing your product (perhaps including a photograph or drawing of the completed object) and instructions.
· Sidebar with navigation links.
· Team Bios page: This includes your professional bio from the onboarding assignment as well as an appropriately professional photograph.
· Body Text: This is where the instructions go.
· Design Memo: This memo summarizes the design objectives and process involved in creating your instructions. Be sure it explains how these things were negotiated within the group.
· Usability Report and Testing Data: This document provides the description and results of your usability testing. Discuss the "focus group" negotiation of particular features of the instructions before they were designed. How well did your intuition match up with the results of your first usability test? Provide your data, and a summary of that data. What changes did you make as a result of the first test? How did the second test go? Did it solve the problems you tried to address? You will also provide the raw data you gathered during the usability test process.
You should also write a confidential individual reflection, which you'll send to me via email. In this document, you'll describe your personal perspective on the project and provide any recommendations you might have for future groups doing this same project.