Parts of a User Scenario Lecture

Topic area: Professional role Writer's question: How do my users function in their work environment? What personal, departmental, and organizational goals must the users achieve to perform their jobs successfully?

Topic area: Profile Writer's question: How much do my users know about the subject matter of the program and about computers in general?

Topic area: Overall use of the program Writer's question: How will my users integrate the program into their work environment? Which program tasks relate to which professional goals?

Topic area: Typical use of the program Writer's question: What tasks will the user perform most usually or frequently?

Topic area: Documentation needed Writer's question: What documents will I have to create to support the user's professional objectives?

Possible Users of the Program What recognizable groups (teacher/student, system administrator/end user) will your users comprise? Describe each group briefly. Provide a brief use case by representative professions in order to present a role model of how the program will serve different professional user groups.

Primary Issues Raised by the Program What learning difficulties, motivational problems, and technical difficulties will your users face?

The User’s Tasks What actions will the user perform with the program? What important activity sequences will the user follow that can help you organize your program operations or features? What actions can you use as examples in your manuals or help?

The User’s Informational Needs What important kinds and forms of information does the user need in order to put the program to work? With whom does the user communicate, and in what forms and media?

The User’s Work Motivation What work motivations affect the user?

The User’s Range of Computer Experience Describe the kinds of novice, experienced, and expert behavior exhibited by the user. Pay attention to the numbers and kinds of programs, degree of technical knowledge, user attitudes toward computing, and the user’s learning behavior.

The User’s Knowledge of the Subject Matter of the Program What kinds of vocabulary reinforcement and subject/matter background will the documentation have to provide?

The User’s Workplace Environment What user groups does the user belong to or have available? Have you identified help forums, special interest groups, newsgroups, user groups, and Web resources available to your users?

The User’s Learning Preferences Describe the user’s preferences for instructor-, manual-, or computer-based learning.

Usage Pattern Describe the patterns users will exhibit:  regular, intermittent, and casual usage.

Document Goals What goals in the area of meeting user needs do you envision for the documentation set you plan to write for the users you have described above?

Suggested Documentation Features Describe the documentation features that your user analysis suggests.  Pay particular attention to areas of organization, emphases for motivation, separate sections, or other elements you want to provide to meet special needs and characteristics you discovered.