Factorial Designs in Minitab

To create runs for a factorial design in Minitab, you select
Stat>DOE>Create Factorial Design.  On the main screen, you select
the Number of Factors (the default is 2) and the click on the 
Design button.  In the Design screen, select the design you want
from the options listed (Full Factorial, 1/2 Fractional Factorial, etc.)
as well as blocks, center points and reps.  After entering your choices
and returning to the main screen, click Options.  It's convenient to
have randomized runs when designing an experiment but inconvenient
when entering data for homework--click on Randomize Run Order to
remove this option.  After returning to the main screen and clicking
OK, your worksheet will have all the run levels labeled and your
experiment will be ready to run (or you'll be able to enter your
responses in a response column and conduct an analysis). If you chose
a fractional factorial design, the design generator and alias groups
will be printed in the session window.

To analyze the design, you select Stat>DOE>Analyze Factorial Design.
On the main screen, you select the response and include center
points (if relevant).  At this point, you could click OK and obtain
effects and a test for curvature.  I encourage you to select 
Graphs and at least choose to produce a normal probability plot.  In
addition, you can choose Terms and add or delete model terms (the
default model is the saturated model).  The ":" notation for main
effects assigns columns names to effects listed A, B, C, etc. Since
the default column names from using "Create Factorial Design" ARE
A, B, C, etc., the notation seems superfluous at first.