Task 1
Assignment: Write a detailed but concise step-by-step guide for how to use a feature within a software application. Please include screenshots for each step, as needed.
How to Set Your Status in Slack
Need to let your teammates know what you’re up to? Or just want to inject some personality into your workday? Your status on Slack is a good place to start!
Here’s how you can set your status using the desktop application.
In the desktop app
There are two parts to your status on Slack. The first – and most visible – is an icon you may select to appear next to your name. The second is text that will display in your profile and in the message bar when another user views their communication thread with you.
1. To set your status, click on your name in the top left corner of the Slack application screen.
2. When you click your name, you will see a box pop open with choices. Click the first choice, “Set a status”.
3. Now you can specify your status. You can choose from 5 suggested choices or write your own. To write your own, type it directly into the box where it says “What’s your status?”
4. You may click “Save” and exit, or you may also add an icon before saving.
5. To add an icon, click on the emoji button to the left of the status box.
6. To select the icon, you can browse choices by scrolling down or search using the search bar.
7. Once you locate the icon you wish to display, click it to add it to your status bar.
8. Click “Save” and you’re all set!
Here’s how it looks when you’re done.
If you wish to change your status, you can follow the same steps to edit or remove the text and icon.
Need more help? See other articles on this topic below or get in touch with a support specialist. We’re here to help!
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Notes about this task
I had to determine naming for various pieces of the application, since I prepared this on my own without referencing Slack’s support docs. I choose to use “status bar” to refer to the area that includes the icon plus the text space. I used “icon” to refer to the little images or emojis. For the text space only, I used “status box”. Those may not be the technically correct names, but I needed names I could use consistently to avoid confusion for the reader. I expect you already have names for many things and others we can figure out together and standardize. I would also like to have shown what it would look like to the other person, but I wasn’t able to access that information from my own account, so I compensated with a note in the very last screenshot above.
This would be an example of quite plain language for the help doc. I don’t yet have a sense of the vision for your documentation voice, but we could jazz it up a bit, too. That’s one thing that Slack does well throughout its docs and micro copy. The trick is not to overdo this or make it too weird! I’m open to exploring with you the type of voice you think fits best with your organization.
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Task 2
Assignment: Write a paragraph that explains the benefit of using a certain feature or app.
Benefits of Using Bonjoro
Bonjoro is an app that lets you send personalized, branded videos to customers. It helps you forge relationships and move them forward more effectively than using email alone. Bonjoro videos are great for welcoming new clients, thanking sales demo participants, introducing staff to remote employees – any situation where you might wish to create a personal impression. You can include a note and links with your video to help encourage the next step in your communications path. And, since Bonjoro videos also integrate with your CRM, you will know when a prospect has viewed your video and which steps they took next.
Note about this task
I’m a fan of brief paragraphs, but there are a lot of neat benefits to this app! I might consider breaking out the first two sentences into their own paragraph. Additionally, this all might be stated differently depending on where it’s used. I prepared this as a standalone description, but if it were to appear at the start of a “how to” article, I would shorten it to perhaps two sentences, because that assumes the reader is already familiar with the app.
By the way, check out Bonjoro here.
General note
While I believe the “rules” of writing are important, the main task, in my mind, is to make our writing clear and easily understood. That end goal informs the decisions along the way relating to word choice, punctuation, sentence structure, and more. Once I get to learn your way of doing things, I can mold my writing to match.
Thanks for reviewing my assignment! If you would like to discuss my thoughts here or ask me to try a different voice for the assignment, I would welcome the opportunity.
