Design for learning

how to educate your users

OutlineThe challange•     Complex tasks

  Solutions•     Bad solutions•     Guidance•     Play•     Motivation

 Conclusion •     Current challenges

The problemSome tasks are too complex to be solved by 'easy to use' and 'keeping it simple'   

Old solutions #Fail

Training courses Are unhealthy expensive (exception video courses?)

ManualsWeb applications don't come with a manual, no-one likes to write help texts, and more important even less people like to read them.

New solutions #Win

guide play Motivate    

Flows

complex tasks such as paying online can be simplified by splitting them up in smaller chunks

 

guid

Guide the user, there are no 'too many steps' if each step makes sense and the time can be estimated

Don't leave your user alone too early

Ask others to help your new user

Have a special functionality, let the user already use it during sign up

motivate, and give ananswer to 'what's next'

SummaryGuidance     Guide your users to the task you want them to complete

Play    Allow the users to learn by doing and making mistakes (and     get beyond the 'are you sure' pop-up  Motivation    Let them know 'what is next' and how easy and rewarding        that next step is going to be    

Existing challenges

- some things are just 'hard' making a fifty step wizard might increase drop out rate.

Existing challenges

- Contextual help is only appreciated when it is indeed contextual.

Existing challenges

- Many things can only be understood by doing, no help text, no graphical explanation will ever take away the need of actually experience.

But visual feedback can be used to keep the user motivated

Thank you!

Sjors Timmer@SjorsUKwww.svirsk.org svirsk@gmail.com References• http://headrush.typepad.com/ Creating passionate users• http://www.alistapart.com/articles/designingforflow/

Books• What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy• Designing Web Interfaces • Neuro Web Design

Questions, comments