English 421K, Technical Writing

1.) I provide a description and image to help clarify many topics. Are there areas that need an image or better descriptions? Do I need to use examples of my descriptions?

I would say that these instructions could certainly benefit from more images. The basic strategies section could use some images to demonstrate what you're saying.

2.) Did you feel like the manual followed a proper logic in the format and presentation of information? Where could it use improvement? What can I change?

I do feel that the instructions were laid out in a logical manner. You could change some of the sections to cater a little more towards beginners.

3.) The pawn is kind of a tricky unit to explain, how did you feel after reading that section? Anything I can improve on?

I felt that you explained the pawn about as well as you can. I was a little confused, but I'm not really a chess player. You could maybe make that section a little more oriented towards beginners.

4.) What did you like/dislike most about reading this? Did anything standout?

I liked the layout. It creates a good balance between the images and the text. Although a few more images would be helpful.

5.) Was my manual through enough? What should I include more in terms of information and strategies?

I think the manual was a bit too thorough. It is a guide for beginners, but someone like me who has played chess before found much of this difficult to understand. I don't think you need the special moves section and the basic strategies seems a bit too complex for someone just now being introduced to the game.

1. Label the images for what they show.

2. You describe how many of each piece there are and what they look like, then go into individual movement descriptions. Consider revising this so that they fit together in one description for each piece. Combine the two descriptive sections.

3. you use the word attack in "attack one square diagonally", but then said it could not attack a square it was moving to? How does it attack then?

4. I think you need more images. It is a lot of words. The first two pages were good, but the last two lacked in interest.

5. I think it might have been over thorough for a beginner chess player. I dont know that the section on keeping tack of your moves was necessary. It might be too much, and if you took it out, you could be down to 4 pages, a more even number. Or you could include more strategies instead, I think that would be more valuable to a beginner chess player.

Attached is my usability report.

1. I felt as though the information was certainly there. However a few pictures of the board with pieces would be helpful. Especially in the part where you are explaining the En Passant rule is a picture needed. This part you refer to a picture at the bottom of the document which wasn't there. I would put this picture immediately below the En Passant paragraph as there are many moves that are made here that confuse the reader without a visual.

2. I liked the order and titles that you chose. Good choice of introduction and laying out what you are about to discuss. Watch for gramatical and spelling errors throughout.

3. Word choice in the part of explaining the beginning moves of the pawn (2 spaces, 1 spaces). Otherwise, very understandable and good deliver of information.

4. Just needs a few more pictures. Naturally most of us are visualizers so better use of pictures will help the reader effecitively make use of this document.

5. Thorough enough, I would say. Keep in mind this is a starting player so you don't want to flood him/her with too much information.

-- Andrew