Technical writing/Audience EE

back to Technical Writing Level 1

Picture Copyright SitronicsTS 2007 text by kind permission of Sitronics TS Czech republic

Personas

It is vital that you do not waste your reader's time. It is also important that you do not waste your own time by explaining things that the reader already knows. The reader usually starts reading your document because there is a problem with the equipment or software. The reader must get the equipment or software working again quickly.

This module introduces the use of a typical reader or persona to help make writing more consistent. The best way to save your reader's time is to only tell them information that they do not already know. Always focus on the task the user wants to complete, and describe it simply and directly.

Definitions

A reader is a person who will use your documents. A persona is a theoretical person who matches a typical example of the people who will use your documents.

How can you select the correct information if you do not know who you are writing for?

You do not need to do research yourself. The marketing department can tell you a lot about the customer. If there is no information then you can make some assumptions based on the type of document.

Questions to ask your marketing department

1. What type of education does the reader have?
   • An engineer will have a degree with some computer studies included
   • A call center operator or shop employee may only have basic education to explain more basic concepts
2. If the software is an upgrade then the reader has used a similar product before. Point out the differences between the two versions first. This may save the reader time
3. Create a persona based on this research
4. Write an introduction to a product for your persona

For the exercise

You need:

• A picture of a typical document user. You can cut out a photo from a trade magazine
• A product to write about
• A new page on Wiki or Confluence

Exercise 1

Write "How to make coffee" in steps for a teenage relative with no experience

Materials: Ground coffee Water Coffee cup Percolator Milk (optional) Sugar (optional)

1. Fill the bottom of the Percolator with water

2. Measure the ground coffee (one spoon per cup) and add to the percolator basket and close the percolator

3. Place the Percolator on a lit stove and heat the coffee gently until it begins perking (bubbling)

4. Allow it to bubble for 7-10 mins and then take off the heat and stand for a couple of mins to allow the ground coffee to settle.

5. Pour the coffee into your coffee cup and if desired add milk and/or sugar

Exercise 2

Write "How to make coffee" in steps for a 45 year old Aunt.

1. Fill the bottom of the Percolator with water

2. Measure the ground coffee and add to the percolator basket

3. Place the Percolator on a lit stove and heat the coffee gently until it begins perking (bubbling)

4. Allow it to bubble for 7-10 mins and then take off the heat and stand for a couple of mins to allow the ground coffee to settle.

5. Pour the coffee into your coffee cup and if desired add milk and/or sugar

Exercise 3

Write "How to make coffee" in steps for a 28-year-old assistant.

1. Fill the bottom of the Percolator with water

2. Measure the ground coffee and add to the percolator basket

3. Place the Percolator on a lit stove and heat the coffee gently until it begins perking (bubbling)

4. Allow it to bubble for 7-10 mins and then take off the heat and stand for a couple of mins to allow the ground coffee to settle.

5. Pour the coffee into your coffee cup and if desired add milk and/or sugar

For answers to the questions, contact snuzprague@yahoo.co.uk.

Exercise 4

Create a persona. Make the Persona as close as possible to your real average reader. For the exercise you need:

• A picture of a typical document reader. You can cut out a photo from a trade magazine
• A product to write about

There are two basic questions:

1. What information does your reader need?
2. Where will they use this information? (in a call centre, in a shop, in an equipment room)

Hint for Exercise 1

Write "How to make coffee" in steps for a teenage relative. Perhaps some pictures of the items and locations would help.

End of Lesson Questions

1. What influences the information that your reader needs? The knowledge, the awareness of the topic, the lifestyle, familiarity with technologies.
2. What is the difference in the amount of detail required in Exercises 2, 3, and 4? The 28-year-old assistant should be given less details because s/he knows about coffee brewing and simple steps does not need to be explained.
3. Do you have to give the same level of information to your Aunt as the teenager? No, because mostly all adult people are familiar with coffee brewing and the teenager does not know anything about it.
4. Why do you have to give more details to the teenage relative? Because s/he has no experience in coffee brewing.

Next Module

Researching and interviewing(EE) How to interview experts (SMEs)

Previous Module

back to Technical writing Overview (EE)

General

How to edit Wiki

Wikiversity Main Page

Further Reading

• Ad-Hoc Personas & Empathetic Focus
• Useability.gov on personas
• Persona Power
• Personas - Setting the Stage for Building Usable Information Sites
• How to Re-design Your Website to Play to your Audience
• What's your customer's persona?
• Audience Analysis
• Prescriptive Audience Analysis
• Flash Designer
• Practical Persona Creation
• Making Personas more powerful