Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
those who may be absent from meetings where
the persona is discussed. Creative strategies are
required to keep the persona relevant and the focus
of activity. It is useful to have something to signify
this. This may simply be an empty chair at meet-
ings that represents the presence of the persona
in discussions and decision-making.
improvements and efficiencies that sit comfort-
ably with them.
Elaborated scenarios provide greater detail,
allowing for deeper understanding of users' level
of comfort and skill in using ICT as well as their
motivations and possible fears. This more in-depth
understanding assists in developing the required
content at an appropriate level. For example an
elaborated scenario of the goal based scenario
might be this social worker not only required to
enter basic registration data but to move from a
paper based system of client file notes to an elec-
tronic one. An elaborated scenario might be:
A social worker with over twenty years ex-
perience uses a computer to access e-mail and
write reports. She has been told that a new system
will allow for file notes to be sent electronically
between agencies. She is not comfortable with
the idea of writing personal information about
clients on a web site and is particularly concerned
about issues of privacy and confidentiality. As a
result she has decided that when the new system
is introduced she will limit what she puts in her
file notes.
An elaborated scenario would include these
fears and concerns with strategies developed to
address these and avert the possibility of users
limiting or modifying the level or type of engage-
ment due to a distrust of the new technologies and
how they will be used.
The persona and scenarios are tested, evaluated
and further developed by feedback from usability
testing with actual, rather than fictitious members
of the user group.
ScenarioS
Scenarios are short stories, or narratives, that pro-
vide greater detail about users and their particular
needs. Depending upon the size and scope of the
project, between 10 and 20 of the most common
scenarios that depict users and the tasks they need
to perform will be written. This keeps the focus
on users rather than organizational structures,
creating a greater understanding of the content
to include in the design and how to best struc-
ture this. Scenarios can be created during user
analysis. These scenarios can be given to users
to follow in usability tests to see if they match
their requirements. Three main types are goal
based, full scale task and elaborated scenarios
(United States Department of Health & Human
Services, 2008).
Goal based scenarios include only the activity
the user is required to do. An example is a social
worker registering a client's name and address
on an electronic database. Simple goal based
scenarios inform the architecture of the site and
content.
Full scale task scenarios support goal based
scenarios by including all of the steps involved
in achieving a particular goal. This is a technique
familiar to workers in the human services using
behavior modification programs. Task scenarios
can be developed by watching and recording
the steps taken by users when performing a task
or they can be developed independently by the
project team. Most benefits are gained from an
approach that is customized to the user group's
style of engagement, with the project team adding
uSability teSting
Continuous feedback is obtained by conducting
usability tests frequently, particularly early on in
the design process. This means problems can be
identified early on and are therefore less costly
to fix, as well as providing valuable feedback on
whether or not the design is achieving its intended
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