If you plan travel this summer, you might need to write instructions to someone. When should your roommates water the plants (and please, not the cactus)? What treats can the pet care service give to Muffy and when? Instructions help answer these questions.

You will see the best results if think about your reader before you write. What do they already know about the topic? What details do they need? What is their context?

For example, do they know which plant to water and where you keep the watering can? Can they read your handwriting? Will they read the instructions while walking your dog?

Then organize the information the way your reader needs to get it.

Safety might be first (Don’t touch the cactus: the spines will hurt you).

If you have step-by-step instructions, a numbered list will take out some of the guesswork

Descriptions or pictures might be useful.

Knowing your reader will help you write better, clearer instructions, which will lead to your reader being more likely to follow them (also known as better compliance). What does your roommate know about plants? Might she water that cactus?

If you are writing for a bigger audience or one you don’t know, a bit of research will help, along with some basic plain language writing tactics, which you can find here.

People who write instructions on how to use consumer products, like toasters, or how to put together flat-pack furniture have tough writing (or illustrating) jobs.

They have a largely unknown, and possibly unknowable readership (who doesn’t buy a toaster for example?). They must include information on how to use the item as well as information on how to use it safely (they are protecting the manufacturer from liability). They must write clearly enough for smooth translation into other languages. And they must assume some level of reader knowledge or their documents will go on forever. However, if they assume too much knowledge, the consumer could be injured and want damages or could damage the product and want to return it. It’s a lot to juggle.

If you must include safety information, put all the safety points together. If your instructions include time, date place information, put those items together, separate from the safety information. Operating instructions are separate again.

What else does your reader need?

Plain Words

Relax this summer with clear instructions