User Modelling

1. User Modelling Teppo Räisänen http://www.oamk.fi/~teraisan/ Teppo.raisanen@oamk.fi

2. General Information • For achieving high degree of usability the target user must be analyzed • There are plenty of techniques available for user modelling • The least one can do is to visit users work environment and gather information

3. General Information • When user is well known, it is possible to tailor UI according to users needs • In practice, however, perfect modelling of user is impossible • Often modelling is also difficult and costly • It is still well advised to model user

4. General Information • In the next part some of modelling techniques available are presented • Techniques presented are lightweighted and should be easily adadpted • It should be noted, that techniques are based on different worlds of ideas and may seem contradictory

5. Who Is the User? • The one who is using the application? • Actually, also many interest groups • E.g. flight booking application • Personnel of airport • Flight personnel • Customers attending to flights • Customers’ families (?)

6. Who Is the User? • CUSTOM: 3 user types • Primary user uses the application • Secondary user does not use the application, but gets feedback from the system • Tertiary users are other interest groups, to which the system’s activity/inactivity has an effect

7. Who Is the User? • E.g. ADP support application • Users call/visit ADP support • Member of support staff enters notice of defect into system • Member of tehnicians recieves the notice trough system • Member of tehnicians repairs the faulty computer • Who is the user? • How would you improve the system?

8. All Users Can Not Be Pleased • Traditionally products have been designed so, that a product is good enough for all of the target users • The most difficult cases are mass products • It should often be considered, if a limited user group whould be better choice than designing for masses

9. All Users Can Not Be Pleased • Mass customization is commonly utilized among other fields of industry • E.g. car production • The same components are used in sports cars and vans • Specialized products are designed for different kinds of user groups

10. All Users Can Not Be Pleased • MCV (Model Controller View) • Enables use of the same application engine • Different UIs for different needs • Used in Java GUI technology and Symbian applications • The goal is that applications, not users, must be flexible

11. User Personalites • Traditionally users were defined using roles • It is argued, that • use of blurred roles leads into, at its best, medicore applications • instead, accurate user profiles should be used

12. User Personalites • Example of user profile • John Smith • 29 years old • Computer technician, system analys • Hobbies: travelling, roller-skating • Lives in high-rise building • Very conscious of products’ quality

13. User Personalites • When profiles are used, the designers don’t have to think of groups • Instead a designer can ask, if the person would, for example, be able to commit a spesific task • User profiles are not actual but imaginary persons • Actual persons can even have ’multiple personalities’

14. Etnographic Research • The goal is to investigate foreign cultures • Researchers live among the people of target culture • Everyday life of target people is observed

15. Etnographic Research • E.R. is seldom used in actual product development • Instead it can be used to, for example, gather information about ways of users’ interacting • The downside of E.R. is that it is costly and time-consuming

16. USTM/CUSTOM • USTM = Matching User’s Skill and Task • The goal is to thoroughly understand and to be able to document user’s requirements • CUSTOM is a lighter USTM-based technique aimed for small organizations’ systems

17. USTM/CUSTOM • CUSTOM divides users into three categories (see slide #6) • In addition to the users systems have faciliating persons, who are responsible of designing and maintaining systems • CUSTOM is based on 6 steps, which include questions to be answered

18. USTM/CUSTOM • Describe products use context and context organization’s goals and values • Recognize and describe interested parties. Locate them under one of the four user categories

19. USTM/CUSTOM • Recognize and describe groups of workers + their positions in the organization • Recognize and describe tasks and objects • Tasks are things that need to be done • Objects are either means or targets of tasks

20. USTM/CUSTOM • Recognize the needs of interested parties • Desribe things described during steps 2 – 4, when • Existing system is used • New system would be used • Needs are described as differences between existing and new version of system

21. USTM/CUSTOM • Prepare a summary of the requirements. Compare the summary against earlier defined requirements

22. Use Cases • takes a narrow view compared to aforementioned techniques • is a lightweight cost-effective technique • Knowledge of system’s context might not be as complete as with using heavier methods • Use cases are individual tasks leading to the completion of a spesific goal

23. Use Cases • E.g. sending a SMS message could be a single use case • Use cases can be divided into substeps • UML notification is often used, but also textual descriptions are possible • Use cases can be prioritized, e.g. emergency call over SMS messages

24. Conclusion • There does not exist an universal method suitable for all situations • Plenty of other methods in addition to those described here are available • Traditional methods are still widely used, but especially use cases are becoming more utilzed