Work Samples

Purpose

To provide clear and concise instructions in a software dialog box. The dialog box opens from the Accounting Report Descriptions report, a report that is used to set up outlines for producing detailed reports. The dialog box displays when the user wants to copy outlines from one year to another.

The dialog box already contained text explaining how to use the dialog box's buttons; however, product development added two new buttons to the dialog box which empowers the user with additional copying options ('All' button and 'Cancel' button). As a result, product development added new additional instructions in the dialog box for the two new buttons.

I proposed two edits:

• Remove extra words where possible
• Make it clear what the outcome is when the Cancel button is selected

Audience Analysis

Users who are copying outlines from one year to another and want to know exactly what the implications and outcomes are for selecting each option in the dialog box.

For example, they want to know whether selecting the 'Cancel' button will throw out all their changes that they've made or preserve the ones they've made and exit out of the process. They also want to know whether the 'All' button can be used in conjunction with the 'Yes' and 'No' buttons to copy the rest of the outlines they have not touched yet or whether the 'All' button is a global command that overrides their changes for individual outlines.

Tools Used

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Outlook

Work Samples

Purpose

Conduct a peer edit of a technical blog article authored by a Business Analyst using tact and diplomacy.

Audience Analysis

Users of the CAFR Statement Builder reporting software. They are reading the article to learn effective query techniques to obtain the desired data.

Tools Used

• Microsoft Word
• Track Changes
• New Comment

Work Sample

Purpose

For a school project, improve an existing document by making it more readable and useful. In this fictitious role, I work as a Microsoft intern and have been asked to rework the company's travel policy manual. I improved the document in the following ways:

• Introduced a logical hierarchy by using consistent fonts, font size, colors, and white space
• Reinforced the hierarchy by rewriting headings into a parallel style
• Used proximity to form logical document sections and reduce cognitive load
• Inserted page breaks and incorporated company colors
• Exposed information buried in paragraphs by creating bulleted lists, numbered lists, and tables
• Rearranged the contents of each section into a logical linear sequence with prerequisite information appearing first
• Copy-edited for style and grammar issues while querying the author where I felt I needed further clarification
• Used Styles feature of Word to separate form from content

Audience Analysis

Microsoft employees traveling on business:

• Layout must accommodate scanning (document will not be read cover-to-cover)
• Hyperlinked Table of Contents accommodates electronic readers
• Sections must be labeled with appropriate headings and sub-headings to give off the best information scent.
• Formal tone required because of professional environment
• Document needs the appropriate margins for three-hole punching in case employees print and store the document
• Document uses a header for company identification.

Tools Used

• Microsoft Word
• Track Changes
• New Comment
• Styles
• Hyperlink
• Header
• Table
• Bullets
• Page Break
• Automatic Table of Contents
• Chicago Manual of Style

Work Samples

Purpose

For a school project, conduct a comprehensive edit of a fictitious manual written for tenants of a public housing development. The manual was written to inform tenants of the Bigtime Housing Authority's (BHA) rules and regulations.

My edits make the document more readable compared to the highly technical lease and strike a diplomatic tone.

I created a style sheet to maintain consistency, wrote a situational and style analysis to my fictitious manager that served as the groundwork for the changes that I made, and wrote a diplomatic cover letter to the to discuss my changes.

Audience Analysis

The users of this document are tenants of public housing.

• Education level of some readers could be lower or non-native
• Wrote short sentences using simple verbs and nouns to accommodate any non-native English speakers
• Provided proper margins for three-hole punching
• Assumed that users have background knowledge of the renting process (avoided explaining all of the terms)
• Encouraged tenants to contact the apartment manager with any questions

Tools Used

• Microsoft Word
• Track Changes
• New Comment
• Styles
• Header
• Chicago Manual of Style