User ModellingID 405 Human-Computer Interaction

Ascending and Descending By M. C. Escher 1960

Mental models and program/design models

Users’ mental model

Designers’ program model

What you are up against…

- a mental model is what the user believes about the system at hand (belief, and not facts)

- individual users each have their own mental model (different users, different models)

- mental models are in a flux (users are bound to update models with experience)

- users suffer model inertia*

- mental models are simple (if design model is nontrivial, it's probably not the user model)*

Let’s see some examples…

- the word "Google" is usually the top query at other search engines, and words like "Yahoo" and "Bing" score high on Google

- Why do people search for a website if they already know its name? Why not just type, google.com into the URL field?

Let’s see some examples…

Users don't just confuse search fields; many less tech-savvy users don't understand the differences between many other common features:

•Operating-system windows vs. browser windows•A window vs. an application•Icons vs. applications•Collapsible/expandable views•Single-clicks vs. double-clicks•Local vs. remote info•…

Let’s see some examples…

- Netflix queue vs. shopping cart

- Picture embedding in a word processor vs. WYSWYG HTML editor

Let’s see some examples…

- When people have to guess how a program is going to work, they tend to guess simple things, rather than complicated things

Let’s see some examples…

- When people have to guess how a program is going to work, they tend to guess simple things, rather than complicated things

Let’s see some examples…

- In Microsoft Windows the Alt+Tab key combination switches to the "next" window

- Most users would probably assume that it simply rotates among all available windows

- If you have window A, B, and C, with A active, Alt+Tab should take you to B. Alt+Tab again would take you to C

- Actually, what happens is that the second Alt+Tab takes you back to A. The only way to get to C is to hold down Alt and press Tab twice.

- It's a nice way to toggle between two applications, but almost nobody figures it out, because it's a slightly more complicated model than the rotate-among-available-windows model

So what can we do?

In case of a mental model mismatch, you basically have two options:

-Make the system conform to users' mental models

-Improve users' mental models so that they more accurately reflect the system

Personas

- Personas are archetypes that describe various goals and observed behaviour patterns among your potential users and customers

- A persona encapsulates and explains the most critical behavioural data in a way that designers and stakeholders can understand, remember and relate to

- Personas use storytelling to engage the social and emotional aspects of our brain, which helps us to visualise and empathise with the user in a vivid and direct manner

Personas

Katie Bennet, digital camera userfrom Designing for the Digital Age: Creating Human-Centred Products and services by By Kim Goodwin (pp.230)

-Set of goals-Mental model-Environment-Skills-Frustrations-Likes & dislikes-Attitudes-Typical tasks-Behaviour patterns-…

What personas are

- Personas are fictional characters but distilled from real data you gathered from actual users (data driven & not based on assumptions)

- They are based on what users do and why they do them (actions, goals, motivations & behaviours)

- Sound personas emerge from good data, rigorous analysis, and compelling human presentation

What personas are NOT- Creative writing exercises with photos and

fictitious biographical details- Market segments- averages

Segment size and

value

Demographics

Skills attitudes

and behaviours

Mental models

and goals

Market segments

Personas

always have

May have

What personas are NOT- Creative writing exercises with photos and

fictitious biographical details- Market segments- averages

Segment size and

value

Demographics

Skills attitudes

and behaviours

Mental models

and goals

Market segments

Personas

always have

May have

Structure of a persona

1. Use a photo for your persona. A good photo is key to making the persona believable and convincing.

Structure of a persona

Structure of a persona

Structure of a persona

4. Include basic demographic information. But only to the degree that helps a reader better understand who your persona is. Age, income, occupation, marital status can be informative.

Structure of a persona

Summary

- User research is primarily about empathy — getting designers and developers to have empathy for their users, and be able to deliver products and services that really appreciate the users’ needs and goals

- And personas are perhaps the best tool in the user-centered design toolbox for communicating empathy — they feel like real people with real concerns, and when crafted well, can transfer insights realized through research to other members of the project team

Summary

- User research is primarily about empathy — getting designers and developers to have empathy for their users, and be able to deliver products and services that really appreciate the users’ needs and goals

- Personas are perhaps the best tool in the user-centered design toolbox for communicating empathy — they feel like real people with real concerns, and when crafted well, can transfer insights realized through research to other members of the project team