Chapter 3:  Defining your Communication's Objectives: Purpose Readers and Context

Guideline 1:  Create a mental movie of your reader in the act of reading

While you cannot ever predict how your readers will react to what you do or say,  the mental movie you create of your reader must take into account purpose, reader, and context (readers' purpose or reason for reading, your readers' characteristics, and the context in which your reader will read).

Guideline 2:  Describe the task your communication will help your reader perform

Usability is the ease with which readers can use your communication to perform their tasks.

Identify your reader's tasks:
1)  Purpose for reading
2)  Information your readers want from your communication
3)  Determine how readers will look for this information
4)  How they will use the information while reading

Three ways readers search for information:

Thorough, Sequential reading
Reading for Key Points only
Reference reading

Ways people use information at work:

To compare alternatives
To determine how the information will affect them and their organization
To perform a procedure

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