Choose a page or diagram from a user manual you believe to be well-executed, and analyze it according to the readings on manuals.
“As you plan to write a set of instructions, think about how readers will be using it. Analyzing your audience and purpose and gathering and organizing your information will help… If readers will find the information intimidating, make the design unintimidating” (Markel, 584-585).
How does this IKEA assembly guide demonstrate the company’s analyzation of their audience? How does it decrease intimidation regarding assembly?
IKEA is notoriously a Swedish company whose global outreach has altered their approach to the standard assembly guide. Though they maintain Swedish nicknames for each piece of furniture they supply, IKEA has clearly analyzed their worldwide customer base to conclude that all assembly guides should be written in diagrams rather than text. Diagrams and drawings are a universal language, while Swedish tends to remain in Sweden. Further, using this method of instruction drastically decreases the anxiety of the builder, as fine print has a tendency to overwhelm the average person.