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Phong Nguyens Memo
Phong Nguyens Memo
Jared Grogan
From Phong Nguyen
Date March 1, 2018
INTRODUCTION:
The instruction set “How to Use Programmable Led Strip Lights for Christmas Holiday Lighting”
was created to help the users use Arduino Board and Led Strip Lights to build a unique
Christmas decorations project. This wikiHow article aimed towards both novice and
intermediated users interested in making a DIY project or home renovation.
As Markel notes, “perform one other task – usability testing – to ensure the instruction set is
accurate and easy to follow,” (Markel 402) an understandability test, performance test, and
location test were administered by me to three different individuals. The three testers included
two novice users with little DIY experience or no electrical wiring skills and an intermediate who
has built a lot of DIY projects involving some electronics skills.
My primary goal is to received useful feedback from the users to help me conduct a better
organization of the steps to improve the instruction’s effectiveness. Valuable input and
suggestions as well as further ideas that I have obtained from these usability tests were
incorporated into the final instruction set and used as primary research information that allowed
me to contribute a unique DIY project to wikiHow community.
I considered the idea that “writing for your readers involves creating an accessible document—
one in which readers can easily find the information they need—that presents ideas and data
clearly and emphasizes the most important information” (Markel 109). So, I designed a location
test to see if my writing is accessible for different types of reader. Specifically, the test was
performed “to evaluate the effectiveness of the headings, topic sentences, and other guideposts
that reveal the organization” (Anderson 384). An understandability test was performed to see
how effective the written instructions, as well as the images, were appropriately matched with
steps and descriptions. Following the test’s script, I asked the users to skim through the article
and then try to think aloud and response to my questions. To test for the instruction conciseness
and effectiveness, I designed a performance test script, as I had the users assemble a scaled-
down version of the led strip and upload the code to Arduino Board using the Arduino IDE.
Both Users:
• Suggested adding sub steps to part 2 step 2
• Suggested changing the wiring diagram as the wire’s color codes is confusing
• Struggled with the scaled-down model regarding the set up was different than the
wiring diagram
• Quickly adapted to Arduino IDE software
• Able to upload the code and power up the led strip
Novice User:
• Could progress through wiring and uploading code with little difficulty
• Suggested additional labels on the wiring diagram; adding step’s number to the
diagram
• Relied on the wiring diagram and skipped steps
• Having difficulty with making the connection between resistor and data input of the
LED strip
Intermediated User:
• Was able to follow the steps to change and upload to the Arduino Board with ease
• Suggested wrapping all connections with electrical tape for safety
• Completed the wiring part in 10-minute
Both Users:
• Able to locate the Tips and Warning sections at bottom of page
• The article was easy to navigate and follow
• Able to identify a crucial note in the Warning section; capacitor can catch fire
DISCUSSION
The results revealed that users followed the instruction set with some ease and I learned many
things along the way. Both users had a hard time understanding the wiring part, which is the
most complicated part of my instruction set. Because the information was presented with
multiple steps and lacks visualization, the users had to revisit the wiring diagram numerous
times to complete the project. There was a problem with referencing the wire’s color as the
users were only focused on the wire’s color and didn’t know which wires they connected. The
performance test provided the most valuable feedback that help me decide where more
classification or explanation was needed.
WORKS CITED
Markel, M. (2016). Chapter 14: Writing definitions, descriptions, and instructions. Practical
strategies for technical communication. 2nd ed. n.p. Bedford/St. Martin’s, n.d. Print.
Markel, M. (2016). Chapter 6: Writing for Your Readers. Practical strategies for technical
communication. 2nd ed. n.p. Bedford/St. Martin’s, n.d. Print.
APPENDIX