Blog Entry for Instructions Reflecting on writing the instructions on how to do a simple checkout of a customer at an Express Brand store, it was wise that I decided to write instructions rather than a process description because of the complexity of the action. I do this action on a day to day basis through my job, and when I was taught how to check out a customer it was by instruction. I feel that an action or a “how to” that has numerous steps is easily understood if written in instruction format. Obviously, I wrote this as instructions because usually people don’t want to know how to checkout a customer unless they actually want or need to. The instructions genre included a title, introduction, tools and materials, steps (with possible side notes), and a conclusion. The steps were stated in chronological order and I used relative graphics to explain them. When writing the instructions I considered background and education of the audience as a beginner. I labeled my title at the top center stating the instruction purpose; “How to check out a Customer at the Register”. My introduction stated the purpose of the instructions and what would be the conclusion if done properly. Following the introduction was the materials and tools needed to complete the task. The chronological steps were listed with graphics added, when necessary. Since this task did not have any safety issues associated with it, only notes were used as suggestions to carry out task. I concluded with a glossary in case terms were used that beginners were unaware of. I did not use a process description because a person would not need or want to know how to check out at a register unless they were actually working at an Express Brand store, and that the task was given in steps and commands. However, the task could fall under the process description category in that the action performs a particular task. In a process description it is similar in that in the introduction explains the purpose, the stages are in exact sequence and notes dangers or special conditions, and ends with a conclusion. Pertaining to the class goals, I feel that I have met five out of the seven in doing this assignment. In particular, I felt that I designed a convincing and usable document that showed how to perform an important task in my everyday workplace. I also created a technical document to improve a situation, such as not knowing how to effectively check out a customer. In writing instructions on how to checkout at the register I attempted to take a highly complex task and make it as simple and user friendly as possible. Preparing to write a set of instructions is more difficult than I anticipated. When I began to write the steps, I felt that I began to confuse myself when trying to write simplistically to help out the reader. Nonetheless, I learned from this assignment and felt that even for my first time writing instructions for a task; it improved my technical communication skills.