Analysis of a set of instructions

For a technical writing course, Arman Chavva analyzed instructions that accompanied an electric blanket he had recently purchased.

The image I chose to analyze in a set of instructions (see below) appeared in a list titled “Instructions for Use.” The image was next to item #17, “Do not use with pets.”

I chose this image because it is ineffective. The image shows a specific breed of dog, so a literal translation might be “no German shepherds.” “No German shepherds” does not mean the same thing as “Do not use with pets.”

The technical writer who created the instructions was right in using the circle and slash, which in most cultures means “NO” or “DO NOT.” However, the writer should probably have used a more general image to send the message of “pets.” A photograph of a specific breed of dog doesn’t send a general message. Instead, the author could have used simple shapes or clip art of a bird, a cat, and a dog, with the circle and slash over the shapes. The simple shapes would make users think of animals in general rather than one particular animal or one particular breed of animal.