Writing Clear Game Instructions for Consumer Backyard Games

Project Preview

Researched, illustrated, and wrote consumer-friendly assembly and gameplay instructions that helped thousands of customers confidently set up and enjoy backyard games sold through major retailers.

Role: Marketing Coordinator
Organization: Baden Sports
Project type: Technical writing and illustration
Primary focus: Technical communication, instructional writing, illustration, consumer documentation
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Word, PDF, online research

Where This Was Used

These instructions I wrote were included in every backyard game set we produced and sold through major retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

What I Designed

Complete instruction guides for multiple backyard games
Assembly instructions with step-by-step illustrations
Illustrated parts inventories
Court layout and setup diagrams
Gameplay instructions
Scoring guides
Win-condition explanations
Volleyball terminology glossary
Warranty documentation
Product safety information

Why I Designed It

I completed this project while working as the Marketing Coordinator at Baden Sports in 2012. I worked closely with our Product Owner who designed this product, but she needed someone to create clear instructions that customers could immediately understand after opening the box. Since I’d previously used my technical writing skills as part of a lean manufacturing implementation at the company, she called on me to assist with this final step of the product development process.

Who I Designed It For

These instructions were designed for backyard games users with varying skill levels and experience playing these games.

How I Designed It

Observe

I examined every product component, reviewed product photography, and researched how different sources explained each game’s rules. Comparing multiple references quickly revealed where customers were most likely to become confused.

Understand the Goal

The objective wasn’t simply to document the products. It was to help first-time users successfully assemble the game, understand the rules, and start playing with confidence.

Remove the Friction

I simplified technical language, defined unfamiliar terminology, illustrated every important component, and organized information into a logical sequence that matched the customer’s natural workflow.

Design for People

I assumed no prior knowledge. Every illustration, diagram, and instruction was designed to answer questions before users encountered them, reducing frustration during setup and gameplay.

Evaluate Results & Adoption

Although formal analytics weren’t available, the documentation became the standard instructions included with multiple backyard game products distributed through national retailers.

Refine & Improve

Each new instruction manual benefited from lessons learned on previous products. As I documented additional games, I refined the layout, illustration style, and writing approach to create a more consistent experience across the entire product line.

What It Accomplished/Impact

Although I don’t have formal usability metrics, the documentation became part of every product package and supported thousands of customers purchasing these games through retail and e-commerce channels.

Produced consumer-friendly documentation included with products sold through major national retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Reduced ambiguity by consolidating inconsistent game rules into clear, standardized instructions.
Combined illustrations and written instructions so customers could assemble products more confidently.
Created reusable documentation templates that maintained consistency across multiple product lines.
Allowed the product owner to focus on new product development while I owned the documentation process.

A recommendation from the product developer I worked closely with for this project.

Explore the Project

For this project, I think it’s really powerful to view the journey of this project to demonstrate how I started with just some photos and basic product information and was able to transform that into customer-ready instructions, with assembly instructions, illustrations of the components, court diagrams, and game rules.

Project Evolution

1. Product information provided

Initial product information provided by the product owner, including component photos and basic product details.

Backyard Games 2012

2. Parts illustrations & court setup diagrams

I recreated every component as a clean vector illustration to make identifying parts much easier during assembly. For court setup diagrams, I researched official dimensions and created diagrams that simplified setup. The final version would be black and white, so I ensured the colors would translate as expected.