Usability

Aims

• provide further information about the following topics:
  • users ("who?")
  • tasks ("what?", "how?")
  • context ("where, when, why?")

Connections to Exsiting Research

• using User Scenarios as a hypothesis for audience segmentation
  • verification
  • add detail
• using functionality overview as a starting point for

Proposed Method

• Mental Models by Indi Young
• Further information on this method is available, see:
  • The book (rosenfeld media) Mental Models
  • excerpts available for online reading via paperc (German website, book in English)
  • The author explaining the method in this Video
  • diagrams from the book on flickr

details

• qualitative method
• based on open interviews (no questionnaires)
• • 4 interviews per audience segment

Course of Actions

1. define audience (already existing: user scenarios)
2. recruit participants, set scope and conduct interviews
   • focus: tasks, behaviours and philosophies of users
3. analyze results
   • distillation of tasks, behaviours and philosophies into a model
4. create mental model
   • graphical representation of this model
   • oppose mental model vs. planned and existing functionality
   • gap analysis (which tasks are supported? which not?)

pros and cons

• (+) pros
  • fundamental research, broad focus
  • detailed analysis of users and their tasks
  • verification of user scenarios / audience segments
  • based on tasks and behavior
  • adaptable / scalable method
  • supports strategic vision and long-term development
  • revision and clarification of user scenarios

• (-) cons
  • fundamental research, broad focus
  • no immediate improvements
  • complex method

Deliverables

• primer (20-40 page pdf about users, tasks, context)
• Mental Model Diagram
  • 1 diagram per audience segment
  • tasks organized in "Mental Spaces" of users
  • justified audience segments based on tasks
  • existing and planned functionality of GIMP