Project 2: Software Instructions and User Test Report
During your careers you will often be asked to explain to others how to perform a complex task. This project provides you with practice writing effective instructions as well as learning how to test those instructions to ensure that they are appropriate for your targeted audience. Usability testing is increasingly common in business and industry and will provide you with specific ideas for improving your instructions. Further, completing a user test report will provide you with experience in writing an empirical research report of the type frequently written on the job.

In groups of three you will propose, write, test, and revise a set of instructions. You will also write a report detailing your usability tests and how the results influenced your revisions. Please review the resources for Project 2 for help in completing this project.

You will need to complete the following tasks or documents for this project:

• Proposal. Propose (as a group) a set of instructions that describes how to perform tasks relevant to a specific software or technology. Your proposal should discuss the specific purpose of your instructions, and the aspects of the technology that you plan to cover in your instructions. E-mail me your group's topic proposals by February 17.
• Instructions. Write (as a group) a set of accurate instructions that will enable your audience to perform a specific process (typically, a software task). The procedure must include at least 40 total steps, at least 6 visuals/screen captures (but more may be appropriate), and display a multi-column page design. For help on learning the software program you are documenting, see the resources for project two.
• Usability Test. Conduct three user tests on your instructions (in total, as a group) in which you give a polished draft of your instructions to members of your targeted audience to determine if they are able to complete the desired task in a manner that is satisfactory to both you and the user. The test serves to illustrate what difficulties the users had with the draft so that you can revise the draft to better meet the users' needs. You will have an opportunity to conduct your usability tests in with classmates beginning on March 6.
• User Test Report. Write (as a group) a user test report to me in memo format that indicates your topic, targeted audience, objectives of instructions, usability test, results of the usability tests, and resulting revisions to your instructions. The user test report is due via e-mail with your instructions on March 13 at 6:30pm.

Last Updated: December 22, 2022