Exam 6: Short Reports, Proposals, and Technical Documents

Correct Answer:

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Answers will vary, but should include the following ideas:
•The example on the left, written for a technical audience, contains information organized into tabular format with what appear to be standard headings and categories. It is simple, to-the-point, and unembellished. It contains a single image of the phone, which serves the utilitarian purpose of illustrating the item's physical features and construction. It also uses technical terminology, such as "Maximum Tone Length."
•The example on the right, written for a non-technical audience, is organized into a more grid-like format, with each cell or block containing an image. Unlike the image in the left example, these images act like signposts for the reader, indicating where different types of information are located. The images also break up the text and make the entire document feel more engaging. The headings are also different from those used on the left, containing criteria that are more familiar and important to non-technical people, such as "Display" and "Available Colours."
•This is a perfect example of why it is important for us to know our audience before we begin to write: different audiences have different needs, and the way you present different information must reflect this.