Use this planning guide to define the key details for your instructions. When you are through, you can e-mail this planning information to yourself, your instructor, or both.

1. Find a project for instructions. Describe that project in the input box below:
   

2. Define the purpose and audience. Describe the purpose and audience of your instructions in the input box below:
   

3. Define the tasks. In the input box below, list the tasks you'll provide instructions for:
   

4. Do some research. List the information sources you've found for this project in the input box below:
   

5. List the equipment and supplies needed. In the input box below, take some notes on equipment and supplies that your readers will need to perform your instructions:
   

6. Plan the special notices. In the input box below, discuss the note, caution, warning, and danger notices you will need in these instructions:
   

7. Plan the highlighting scheme. In the input box below, discuss whether you'll need to use highlighting in these instructions and what highlighting scheme you'll use:
   

8. Plan and develop graphics. List and describe the graphics you would need in your instructions in the input box below:
   

9. Consider terminology. Think about key actions and objects and decide on the terms you'll use for those. List them in the input box below:
   

10. Sketch the headings you'll use. List the headings you would use in this instructions and briefly describe the contents of those sections:
    

11. Plan an introduction. In the input box below, try rough-drafting an introduction in which you indicate the topic and purpose and provide an overview of the rest of the instructions:
    

12. Consider adding a conclusion. Take a look at the ideas for conclusions in Chapter 2 of Power Tools for Technical Communication and sketch your ideas for your own in the input box below:
    

13. Consider the format. In the input box below, describe the format you'll use for your instructions:
    

14. Review and revise your rough draft. When you've written the rough draft of your instructions and reviewed it, use the input box below to describe the problems you find:
    

Your name:
E-mail this planning information to me:
E-mail this planning information to my instructor: