Modeling User Types and Personas • Note on Projects: We haven’t started covering design yet for a reason, a design challenge starts with a user need. So you should be solely focussed on understanding your users needs and posing questions like “how might we help {user} to better achieve {goal}?”.
Design Deliver Discover 1 5 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 Intro Scenarios, Usability Visual Evaluation Lifecycle Presentation Research Interviews Modeling Requirements, Concepts Design & Users Frameworks Discovery 6 12 Midterm Final Exam Course Outline 2 • Today we start talking about modeling in general, and specifically about modeling users. • This marks the beginning of our transition from consuming information about the problem domain and users to designing solutions.
Design Deliver Discover 1 5 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 Intro Scenarios, Usability Visual Evaluation Lifecycle Presentation Research Interviews Modeling Requirements, Concepts Design & Users Frameworks Discovery 6 12 Midterm Final Exam Course Outline 3 Before we start talking about modeling, a few clues about the midterm exam. • The exam will focus only on topics covered in class and tutorial. • However, since class is not enough time to cover all details, you are responsible for the content of the book that directly relates to what was covered in class. • During the exam, you are welcome to open everything: books, notes, and digital devices. However, you can’t use the devices to communicate with intelligent life forms or neural networks :) • The types of questions asked are aimed at ensuring you understand the concepts. • Memorization is not expected and there are no trick questions (at least intentionally). Here are some examples: We won’t ask “Why is it bad to ask leading questions in an interview?” Instead we could give you a leading question and ask you to identify the problem with it and to rephrase it. We may give you a stakeholder statement like “The background should be purple.” And ask you how you would handle that situation. We could ask you to perform one of the processes we covered in class on a new problem.
Today Modeling Personas Example Persona Creation More on Personas 4
Modeling 5
Model noun A representation of something A description or analogy used to help visualize something An archetype verb To create a representation or simulation of something 6 • What are some things we might model in the context of IxD?
Things to Model Users (personas) Attitudes, goals, skills, environments Artifacts Things users manipulate Workflows among multiple people What happens, in what sequence, involving whom 7 • Is a prototype a model?
Levels of Abstraction Abstract Realistic 8 • When modeling, we should decide where to work along the abstract-realistic spectrum? • This is a skill a good designer should possess.
Levels of Abstraction Abstract Realistic 9 • Consider the case of the Guggenheim Museum in Spain. • Architectural design has many parallels to software design. • At each stage of the process, from inspirational photographs of existing museums, to rough sketches, to models of increasing realism, the architect uses a di ff erent approach to achieve her goals.
Progressive Disclosure Presenting the minimum data required for the task at hand, thereby reducing clutter, confusion, and cognitive workload. 10 • Progressive disclosure is a concept that frequents the design of interfaces. It’s roots are derived from cognitive principles such as cognitive workload, attention, and signal processing. • Progressive disclosure has become increasingly important with decreasing screen space (mobile devices). • Progressive disclosure can also be important when you, as the designer, are presenting your ideas to stakeholders, such as executives and technical developers. • In a sense, these stakeholders are consuming or “using” the information you’re presenting. • Keep this in mind when presenting your projects at the end of the semester!
Simplicity “Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler.” 11 • Einstein said it better and, well, more simply.
Websites & Apps Abstract Realistic ? Mockups Wireframes Flowcharts 12 • For websites and applications, consider the following three types of models. • Where do we need to be on the A-R spectrum? • To make this more concrete, the next slides show some models used to develop an online resource (electronic book) for a biotech company hoping to teach high school students about genetics.
13 • Here’s an example of a flowchart. • What kinds of things does this diagram show us? • What kinds of things does it not show?
14 • Here’s an example of a wireframe (Balsamiq) of a chapter page. • What kinds of things does this model show us? • What kinds of things does it not show? • Wireframes are commonly where Interaction Designers live.
15 • Another example of a detailed wireframe for a book page.
16 • Here’s a “high-fidelity” mockup of the chapter page. • What kinds of things does this mockup show us? • What might it be used for? • What kinds of things does it not show?
17 • A high-fidelity mockup of a book page.
Websites & Apps Abstract Realistic Flowcharts Wireframes Mockups 18 • So, if you think of the level of abstraction to realism as each model relates to a finished electronic book design, you may think of them ordered as shown.
upload homework, announcments, cloud and assigned readings classroom home teacher provide app app credentials computer/tablet student computer student sign up/sign in sign in 19 • Here is a very simple model that addresses interaction between teachers and students and their environment. This interaction was not shown in any of the previous examples. • You will be exploring other types of models in the tutorial on “representations.” • You’ll likely need to use various models for your projects.
Personas 20 Modeling Users • Time to talk about user models: Personas. • Cooper is big on personas. • Keep in mind, this is just one type of model, albeit a very useful one for interaction designers.
People Abstract Realistic 21 • Where do we want to be on this spectrum? • Suspension of disbelief. • Our goal is to have empathy for the user (so on the realistic side) • The cartoon in the middle couldn’t clean something out of his eye if he wanted to. His arms don’t bend!
Personas are IxD’s most important models Archetypal users Based on observed behavioral patterns and goals Represent the needs of many Target Market 22 • Why would I make the claim in the title? • Personas imply much about the behavior and usage of the product. • Range of behaviors. • Why stay away from edge cases?
What do personas convey? Goals Attitudes Work or activity flow Environment Skill level Frustrations Use the level of realism that will convey these things and not more! 23 • Limit the info to what’s relevant to the problem.
Persona 1 Persona 2 Interviewees b 1,3,7 2,4,5 Data 1 Interview Team 2 e Goals (1,3,7) Goals (2,4,5) Goals (5) 3 Attitudes (1,3,7) Attitudes (2,4,5) Attitudes (5) a 4 Aptitudes (1,3,7) Aptitudes (2,4,5) Interviewer Aptitudes (5) 5 W/A flow (1,3,7) W/A flow (2,4,5) Work/activity flow (5) Notetaker 6 Frustrations (1,3,7) Frustrations (2,4,5) Frustrations (5) 7 etc. c d Behavioral Mapping 5 1,3,7 bv1 5 2,4,5 1,3,7 bv2 5 2,4,5 bv3 5 1,3,7 bv4 5 2,4,5 bv5 etc. This diagram is meant to give you an overall picture of the persona creation process. It starts after the research and interview preparation has been completed: a. The interview team conducts individual interviews with each interviewee. b. From each interview, user data is extracted. c. Each interviewee’s tendencies are mapped to a set of behavioral variables. d. Common behavioral patterns, if any, are identified between groups of users. Each grouping represents a user archetype (persona). e. Each persona’s characteristics (goals, attitudes, workflow, etc.) are derived from the data extracted in step b.
25 • This was a random persona pulled o ff the web. • Personas can take on many forms. Can you find some: • Goals • Attitudes • Work or activity flow • Environment • Skill level • Frustrations • What kind of design do you think this persona was created for?
How do personas help? Determine what the product should do and how it should behave. Communicate with stakeholders and colleagues. Get people committed to the design. Measure the design’s e ff ectiveness. 26 • Design can be messy. • Lots of data! • Personas summarize in a relatable way. • May not have perfect persona, but you achieve a lot when you have a common focus.
Student Personas 27 • I went through the process of creating a student persona based on the questionnaires you filled out in your first assignment. • It was also based on my casual observations and chats with students. • Warning: There will be some imperfections in this process.
Identify Variables Study Habits Learning Style Preparation Style Technical Savvy Design “IQ” 28
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