Description

WRTG 393 students,

The first writing assignment will be a technical description for two different audiences.

You will explain to both a non-technical audience and to a specialized audience how something

works.

You will choose an object or a process with which you are familiar. You will then describe this

object or process to an audience that with whom you share a degree of specialization. You will

also describe this object or process to an audience that has little or no background of the subject.

Keep in mind that, if you describe a process, you are not giving instructions on how to do

something. You will write a set of instructions for writing assignment #2. For writing

assignment #1, if you describe a process, you will describe an activity that takes place. You will

describe how a phenomenon happens or how a mechanism works.

Your description will include pictures. The description will use visual detail in both words and

images.

Examples include the following:

• You are a member of a gaming community. You could write a description of how a

game operates to individuals in your gaming community. You will also describe how the

game operates to an audience of non-gamers. You would not write a set of instructions on

how to play the game. You would describe how the game works.

• You are in a branch of the military. You could write a description of how a function of

your unit operates to an audience of colleagues who are also in your branch of the

military. You will also describe how this function works to a non-military audience. You

would not write a set of instructions on how to do something in the military unit. You

would describe how a function or process in the military unit operates.

• You are an auto mechanic. You could write a description of how spark plugs work in a

four-cylinder engine to an audience of colleagues who work in your shop. You would

also write a description of how spark plugs work in a four-cylinder engine to an audience

of non-mechanics. You would not write a set of instructions on how to install spark

plugs. You would describe how spark plugs work.

• You work in technical support at a computer store. You could write a description of how

a graphics card works to colleagues in your tech support unit. You would also write a

description of how a graphics card works to an audience that is not familiar with

computers. You would not write a set of instructions on how to install a graphics card.

You would describe how graphics cards work.

• You work in a restaurant. You could write a description of how the serving process

works during a busy Friday night. You would write a description to fellow workers at the

restaurant. You would also write a description to an audience that does not work at the

restaurant. You would not write a set of instructions on how to serve food in the

restaurant. You would describe how the wait staff, cooks, managers, and other staff work

together in serving food.