Opportunity
I love writing instructions. There is a beauty in the logical order that they provide and knowing that if someone else were to follow the same instructions that they would get the same results. Quick reference guides (QR) are the shortcuts in the world of instructions, and who doesn’t like a good shortcut?
This is an older project, and the website it was created for has been updated several times over the years. I am including it here because I use every opportunity I get to advocate for this website, and this QR has helped me land an internship at TRICAST and the job I currently enjoy at Wacker Neuson.
My Role
This was an individual project, and it was my task to choose to write a QR for any product of my choosing. I chose the Quizlet website.
The Process
First, I had to slow down to document how I used the website to create flashcards for my classes that had term-heavy tests. Then I set about creating step-by-step instructions with visual aids wherever possible. The first draft was submitted for review and feedback was given to improve the document. Once the updates were made, I roped in a couple of friends to do usability testing and made more improvements to the QR. The final submission was given as part of a presentation with handouts for the class to follow along and see that the instructions were like Disney’s Mary Poppins, “practically perfect in every way.”
Challenges
The challenge was fitting all of the steps onto one page while writing clear and easy-to-follow instructions that were large enough to be legible. Another challenge was finding a diverse group of two willing participants available to test the QR, and then giving myself time to digest the results and apply the updates within the deadline. This class was also very important for me to impress my professor because she was my advisor and incredibly talented and knowledgeable in the field of Technical Communication and UX. I did not want to submit anything that would be less than 100% in her eyes. No pressure. Ha!
The Result
After I applied each of the recommended comments and what I learned from the usability testing, I have used this QR to help me land an internship and three jobs since creating it. So while the instructions are outdated, the work that went into that paper is still a valid document of the work I can do.
Barbara's Digital Portfolio 