Document Evaluation

1. Do the title and title visual convey an accurate understanding of the goal of the instructions?

The cover of the instruction booklet clearly state what the booklet is for, “Accent Table with Storage Drawer.” In the bottom left-hand corner of the front cover, “assembly instructions” is clearly stated. There is also a picture of the finished product, as well as the store logo for where this particular model was purchased. All in all, the title and title visual do convey an accurate understanding of the goal of this particular instruction book.

2. Does the introduction accurately and clearly define the scope of the instructions?

I don’t think the introduction accurately and clearly defines the scope of the booklet. The introduction says that, in more words, the manufacturer did the hard work with the hardware and parts. It also says that as long as one follows the instructions, it will be easy to build the contents of the box and that luck isn’t needed.

3. Are the instructions written with the intended audience in mind?

The instructions are written, or more accurately depicted, for anyone to understand. There are very little words in the actual instructions to put the accent table together. The words are used more to describe the hardware needed for a specific step, or to show which side should be up (finished side or unfinished side).

4. Are all alerts easily identified and understood?

The only alerts in this booklet are the weight restrictions for each section of the table. This is on the very last page, a page most people probably don’t see since the only instructions on that page are to put the drawer where it should go.

5. Are the visuals clear and easily understood? Do the visuals offer readily identifiable likenesses of the objects they represent?

The visuals are very clear and easy to understand. To find out which piece goes which way, all one has to do is look at the pictures to see if there are any extra holes showing on the diagram and if there are any extra holes on the pieces they are working with. The visuals show all the screw holes that should be visible if the pieces being worked on are in the same position as the visuals in the booklet.

6. Do visuals like icons work in conjunction with the written text?

There are no icons in this booklet. The only things that could be icons are the hardware pieces that are listed on bottom half of each page, as well as where those pieces go for that particular step of the construction.

7. Are visuals in useful proximity to the corresponding text, especially in the case of parts lists, tools lists, and steps?

The hardware list is on one half of the page and the diagram for that specific step is on the other half of the page. The screwdriver needed for a piece of hardware is between the name of the piece of hardware and the image of the hardware piece.

8. Are the instructions – particularly the steps – visually accessible, or is it difficult to rapidly return to one’s place in the instructions?

It would be very simple to find where one left off (if they had to leave this project for any reason). Since everything is set up as pictures, all one would have to do is find which picture looks like what the pieces are set up as. For example, if the drawer was put together but the tracks weren’t put on, whomever was putting this accent table together would need to return to step 5 to put the tracks on. If the table was an open cube, they would need to proceed to step 10 to put the feet on the table.

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