Your Task

Part of the Homework portion of your course grade

Write a 250–350 word description of an object, tool, device, technology, or system for a non-expert audience of employees at Caldwell & Associates.

Include the following information:

• What the item is.
• What it is used for.
• Its main parts or features.
• How the parts or features work together.
• Why readers might need to understand it.
• One photo/screenshot of the item.

You work as a Consultant at Maroon + Orange Digital, a company that helps their clients improve their communication with customers, colleagues, and the public. See the scenario for all the details on the writing situation.

Review Markel & Selber Ch 20 for help with this project.

Assignment Learning Objectives

After working on this assignment, you should be able to:

• Write a clear and organized description.
• Use specific details without overwhelming the non-expert reader.
• Distinguish description from instruction.
• Explain why an object or technology matters.

Your Audience

Write your message for non-expert employees at Caldwell & Associates. They understand that the organization is improving communication within the company and with clients, customers, and the public. They do not yet know what to do or how to do it. See the scenario for more details.

Your description will help these employees understand what the item is, what it looks like, what parts it includes, and what purpose it serves. This background information will help them decide whether they can use the item as they work to improve the company’s communication.

Success Tips

• Focus on helping readers understand the item, not on telling them how to use it step by step. You’re writing a description, not instructions.
• Find examples in the Description section of Markel & Selber, Ch 20, particularly Figures 20.5 and 20.6.
• Use a formal title and internal headings for sections, appropriately sized.
• Check the number of words in your answer by going to the Tools menu and then choosing the Word Count command. Canvas will display a box with details on your answer.
• Reuse part or all of your description in your User Document assignment.

Optional AI Feedback

You can submit a draft to your preferred generative-AI tool (e.g., Copilot, HokieAI, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) for feedback. If you do, follow these guidelines:

• Keep the original draft untouched.
• Use a prompt that asks AI to review your draft and provide suggestions for improvement only. (No direct revisions)
• Save the AI comments or revision advice. I may ask to see your AI feedback if I have a question.
• Add a submission comment that identifies which AI tool(s) you used and how you used the tools (in other words, what did you ask AI to do?).

   You cannot ask AI to write this activity for you.

Example Topics

These topics all work for the assignment. You can also choose a topic not on the list as long as it fits the assignment.

• Digital dictionaries
• Digital fonts/typefaces
• Digital thesauruses
• Document scanners
• Electronic forms
• Email composition interfaces
• Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula
• Flesch Reading Ease formula
• Google Docs templates
• Grammar-checking systems
• Gunning Fog Index
• Hemingway Editor
• Laser printers
• Microsoft Editor
• Microsoft Word document templates
• Microsoft Word document themes
• Microsoft Word Styles
• Microsoft Word Track Changes
• Page-layout grid systems
• PDF files
• Predictive-text systems
• Spell-checking systems
• Voice-to-text systems

How You’ll Be Graded

Canvas will automatically give you credit for your submission.

I spot-check the work to ensure the grade is accurate.

If you shouldn’t have earned credit, I change the grade. This situation usually happens when answers are missing or incomplete. If time allows, I may ask you to try again.