Putting Context into Context

http://www.uie.com/articles/putting_context_into_context/

Goals:

• What is the user trying to accomplish?
• How will the user know when they are done? What will be different?
• How does the user describe their goals?
• How do the user's actions fit into the objectives of the organization?
• Who established the goals for the user? Were they self anointed or were they assigned by someone else?
• Are the user's immediate goals part of a larger scope? (For example, the new point-of-sale application is one piece of delivering an entire new line of business.)

Process:

• What are the steps the user will follow?
• Who defined the steps?
• How prepared is the user for each step? (Do they have it all laid out or does it seem to be ad-hoc?)
• How does information flow from one step to the next?
• What are the various roles (such as creator, contributor, editor, or approver) that are involved?
• How long does the process take?
• What artifacts (such as design documents, emails, or whiteboard drawings)are used?
• How do the various team members communicate with each other?
• What other tools are used during the process?

Inputs & Outputs:

• What materials and information will the user need to successfully use the interface?
• Who will they get that information from?
• What do they do when the information isn't complete?
• What will they need from the interface to continue with their overarching goals?
• Who do they give those results to?
• What happens after they've turned them over? (Does the user move on to something else or do they have more interactions?)

Experience:

• What similar things has the user done in their past?
• Is this something that repeats itself or is the use a first-time occasion?
• What journals or magazines do they read?
• What kind of "organizational memory" helps the user avoid mistakes of the past?
• How has the organization survived without this design in the past?
• What competitors systems have users taken advantage of?
• How will the user learn how to use the tool?
• What training has the user received?
• What conferences has the user attended?

Constraints:

• What physical, temporal, or financial constraints are likely to impose themselves on the user's work?
• What ideals are subverted by reality as the work progresses?
• What constraints can the user predict in advance? What can't be predicted?

Physical Environment:

• How much room does the user have to work?
• Do they have a place to store the documentation?
• What materials on their desk?
• What access do they have to necessary information (such as user manuals)?
• What is taped to their monitor?

Tools In use:

• What hardware and software does the user currently use?
• Do they participate in online forums?

Relationships:

• What are the interactions between the primary user and other people who are affected by the tool?
• Does the user interact with other people who use the tool?