Design Inofrming Models
Design Inofrming Models are design-oriented constructs, such as task descriptions or user personas, that turn raw data into
actionable items as design ideas, as elements to consider or take into account in the design.
Adv :
• help integrate and summarize the contextual data
• point back to the data, to maintain the “chain of custody” to ensure that the design is based on real contextual data
• provide a shared focus for analysis now and, later, design
• provide intermediate deliverables, which can be important to your working relationship with the customer
Types
User Models Environment models
• Work roles
• User classes UX-oriented models
• User personas • Social models (user model)
Usage Models
• Flow models
• Task models
• Information object models
User Model
User models are a set of models that define who the users are, including everything about work roles,
sub-roles, user class definitions, and personas.
• Work Roles
A work role corresponds to the duties, functions, and work activities of a person with a certain job title or job
responsibility.
• A work role can involve:
• System usage or not (meaning the person in the role may or may not be a direct user)
• Internal or external to the organization, as long as the job entails participation in the work practice of the
organization
User Classes
A user class is a description of the relevant characteristics of the user population who can take on a particular
work role. User class descriptions can include such characteristics as demographics, skills, knowledge,
experience, and special needs—for example, because of physical limitations.
• Every work role will have at least one accompanying description of potential user community who can
perform that role. Sometimes a work role can have such a broad user population that it requires more than
one user class definition to describe all the different kinds of people who can assume that role.
• User class definitions document the general characteristics of these groups of people who can take on a
given role in terms of such characteristics as demographics, skills, knowledge, and special needs. Some
specialized user classes, such as “soccer mom,”,“metrosexual,” or “elderly citizen,”.
• User class characteristics can include user knowledge of computers—both in general and with respect to
specific systems. Some knowledge- and skills-based characteristics of user class definitions can be mandated
by organizational policies or even legal requirements, especially for work roles that affect the public.
For example, a medical doctor might be an expert in domain knowledge for an MRI system, but may have
novice-to-intermittent knowledge in the area of related computer applications. In contrast, a secretary in the
hospital may be a novice in the domain of MRI but may have more complete knowledge regarding the use of
related computer applications.
