Emotion amplifiers

Many readers find technical documentation boring and dull. But the motivation to deal with it can be boosted; perhaps even with character combinations that were invented 35 years ago.

Text by Birgitta Geischberg

Inhaltsübersicht

Emotion amplifiers

Image: © aleepiskin/istockphoto.com

The dry linguistic style, in which instructions are written, is often one of the reasons why they are not read with much interest. For many readers, instructions are just commands, explanations and guidance. This perception is based on the imperative style that is often used to formulate instructions. The reader is reminded of when they used to read at school, or possibly of a teacher who wasn’t particularly liked. However, there is no doubt about the fact that a clear communication style is essential, even if it is for safety reasons alone. Therefore the focus should be on the mode of expression and choice of words and not the choice of text type.

Elements of everyday communication

The idea of incorporating elements of everyday communication when writing instructions is based on the observation of interpersonal communication. People, who are emotionally connected to what they want to ...