User Manual: Rough Draft

Goals

• Analyze the rhetorical situation and determine the appropriate audience or users of written communication, considering the needs of global audiences and people with disabilities. [CLO 1]
• Use conventions of various workplace genres, such as proposals, instructions, correspondence, reports, and slide decks, with understanding of how the genre conventions can be used as heuristics and as principles of arrangement. [CLO 4]
• Apply principles of effective visual design for print and electronic presentation, including hierarchical, chronological, and spatial arrangements. [CLO 6]
• Identify and apply the principles of effective style in the composing of usable, reader-centered written communications. [CLO 7]

The Task

For this Major Writing Project Activity, create a rough draft of your project in your word processor. 

Getting Started

Complete the activities in Project Module 13: User Manual, Part 1 (Opens Week of April 20) to gather information and prepare to write your draft. You are not required to complete these activities, but they can help you prepare your draft.

Composing Your Draft

Create a rough draft of your project in your word processor. Keep the following Project Requirements in mind:

• Focuses on a task related to the kind of writing examined in your Recommendation Report and Research Poster assignments.
• Meets the expectations of the Writing Scenario, explained on the User Manual: Assignment page.
• Is a document that is a minimum of four pages long (including images and illustrations) that was created in a word processor.
• Combines technical description and instruction into a single document—a user manual.
• Demonstrates a clear relationship between the graphics and the accompanying text (p. 561).
• Has a clear title that is specific to the instructions (p. 566).
• Opens with an introduction that (p. 556):
  • states the purpose of the task.
  • describes the safety measures or other concerns that readers should understand.
  • lists the necessary tools and materials.
• Includes step-by-step instructions that are
  • numbered (p. 567).
  • expressed in the imperative mood (p. 567).
  • simple and direct (p. 567).
  • accompanied by appropriate graphics for each step (p. 568).
• Ends with a conclusion that includes (p. 568)
  • any necessary follow-up advice.
  • if appropriate, a troubleshooting guide.
• Uses professional design and formatting that does the following:
  • Makes a good first impression as a polished, professional document.
  • Uses appropriately-sized headings and text.
  • Makes information easy for readers to find and read.
  • Emphasizes important information.
• Uses accurate/appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, mechanics, linking, and formatting.
• Is an original project, written by you, not copied or rephrased from another source. If you copy or rephrase from another source, you will earn zero points for the project.

Grading Process

I  will record the points for this activity after I check your draft and ensure that it meets the basic requirements listed above. Note that your draft need not be complete to earn the points for this activity, but I do expect to see at least half of your project, accurately fitting the assignment, with enough information to demonstrate that you put your effort into the draft.

I provide individualized editing and revision feedback on rough drafts submitted by 11:59 PM on Friday, April 24. Please allow approximately 3 days for me to respond to your work.

I will provide everyone with collective feedback that goes over issues I see in the drafts all members of the course submit. I may use excerpts from your draft to provide collective feedback to the class, based on the Anonymous Use of Student Texts policy.