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?
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