Factual WritingTask 1 – Existing Products

Alex Walker

LeafletsThis leaflet is for a charity about animal rights. This means that the information has to be presented in a way that will get peoples attention and also clear so that people can get all of the necessary information. They have used the colour red as a way of doing this as it means danger and is a colour that your eyes are automatically drawn to. This makes the fact that they need your help and all the important information stand out more. They have used green as a way of highlighting all of the positives of adopting a puppy .The language used is formal and professional, this is so

that people know that they know what they’re talking about. For example, if the leaflet was written in a way that was more informal, it wouldn’t seem as professional and therefore people wouldn’t take theorganisation seriously. The text in this leaflet is also to the point and doesn’t use more words than necessary to make their point. This text will also be bias against puppy farming, this is apparent as they only show the negatives of this industry however, not there are any positives from this perspective. They have shown evidence of this happening, so there is justification behind the bias points. Legally, the leaflet doesn’t do anything wrong as it doesn’t name any specific places that puppy farming occurs at. This also means that it works with the code of practice as it doesn’t break any of them. Overall, this leaflet is clear and to the point and serves the purpose of informing people of these facts. The layout could be more interesting with use of different colours or more images but then that may distract from the important facts that the leaflet provides.

This leaflet is about getting people to join a dance project. This isn’t as hard hitting or urgent as the leaflet about animal rights, so therefore it can be set out in a different format. There is more happening in this leaflet than in the first; more images, shapes, colours. The first leaflet was very formal and precise whereas this leaflet has to look more informal and modern as that is the kind of audience it is trying to get the attention of. They use the colour pink to highlight the main information as it stands out

over the other colours. They have also used bold text and lines in order to highlight other important pieces of information. The text in this leaflet is quite formal however, there isn’t a lot of information, this was a tactical move in order to get people to sign up to their website. The text isn’t bias as it is simply informing the reader of what ‘One Youth Dance’ is and their project ‘Rise’, it avoids ambiguity.There aren’t any legal constraints with this leaflet and it complies with the codes of practice.Overall, this leaflet is aesthetically interesting and gives enough information for people interested in dance to go onto their website.

Leaflets

Instruction Manuals This is a instruction manual about how to use the ‘flip video’ camera. It shows how to use it with a series of diagrams and numbered points that correlate who the bullet points that tell you what to do. The language is very formal and uses minimal words, this is so it is clear and to the point and this makes it easier to understand. They used the colour blue to highlight the numbers on the diagrams, this is so that it stands out against the black diagram. Blue is

also a calming colour and this can be useful as using instructions can sometimes be stressful. The main titles are highlighted in black around the text to make them stand out further. It isn’t bias to the product as it isn’t saying why it is better than anything else, it is telling you how to use the device. Overall, this instruction manual is effective as it clearly tells you how to use the device, this is alongside the use of diagrams to further show what the text is saying, this makes it more interesting and easier to understand.

How To GuideThis ‘how to’ guide shows in eight simple steps how to make musgo graffiti. They could have probably made it in less steps but with more information in each step. By doing it in more steps they are able animate each action you need to do, this makes it clearer and easier to understand and also more interesting to look at, which will probably make more people want to look at the how to and then do it. There isn’t any bias as they aren’t telling you to use a specific brand of any of the things that are needed. There may be some legal constraints as you can’t just graffiti anywhere, even if it is a plant. The text is clear and to the point, it is more informal than the other pieces of factual writing I have looked at, this is probably because it is just for something to do rather than for something professional. Overall, the how to works effectively as it shows clearly what to do and tells you in short and to the point steps.

Textbooks This is a science textbook, the double page spread shown is about energy and wavelengths. The language is formal and there is a lot more here than in previous pieces of factual writing, this is because it is trying to educate the reader so more details will be needed to further understand, especially with a topic like this. The use of diagrams helps show what the text is trying to

explain, this is because not everyone learns by just reading and by using the diagrams it helps people understand. There may be some legal constraints with textbooks for example; plagiarism, whether it is factually correct, what is aloud to be published and taught. These are all factors that the author of the book needs to think about. There shouldn’t be any uncertainty when it comes to science textbooks, there is room to be proven wrong or have a different view but when it comes to things like experiments, there should be no uncertainty.

MagazinesThis is and article from NME about Lily Allen, the language used in this article is informal and chatty, this is apparent just from the masthead which is a quote. The writing is like this as the magazine is trying to appeal to the reader and also make Lily seem more normal than she may already be perceived. The image backs this point up as she is wearing

normal clothes that most people would wear, there isn’t anything that would make her stand out over anyone else. This article will be bias towards Lily as they are trying to make people see how ‘normal’ she is compared to other celebrities. There will also be vagueness as Lily won’t answer questions about certain aspects of her life.The legal constraints of this article could include if Lily talks about someone else and accuses them of something, this could lead to legal action being taken. There could also be legal action if the author of the article changed quotes or things that were said to suit the article rather than actually be true. It also sticks to the editors code of practice. Overall, this article fits the purpose of informing the reader about Lily Allen and also promoting Lily in a positive way.