mental modeling for content work: contextual inquiry, personas and planning
TRANSCRIPT
Mental Modeling For Content WorkCONTEXTUAL INQUIRY, PERSONAS AND PLANNING
DANIEL EIZANS | CONFAB CENTRAL 5.7.14
HI! I’m daniel Eizans. I’m an Information Architect!
ABOUT ME: I’ve been a journalist, student of neuroscience, a marketer and a strategist at two of the world’s largest advertising agencies. Now, I’m a senior information architect at The Understanding Group (TUG) !
CLIENT WORK: Automotive (Ford, Chevrolet), Government (EPA, CDC, FAFSA) Non-Profits (National Safety Council), Healthcare (Kaiser Permanente, McClaren Health, MetroHealth) and Consumer Products (Olympic) !
TWITTER: @danieleizans2
What we’ll cover today
Part 2: Affinity Diagrams 1. Overview: Affinity Diagrams 2. Exercise: Group Affinity Diagrams 3. Review and Q/A
Part 1: Contextual Inquiry 1. Overview: Contextual Inquiry 2. Exercise: Performing Inquiry 3. Exercise: Interview Interpretation
Part 3: Developing Personas 1. Overview: Developing Personas 2. Group Work: Review Personas 3. Exercise: Cognitive Diagram
Part 4: Mental Modeling 1. Overview: The Process 2. Exercise: Mental Modeling 3. Review and Q/A
3
Part 1: Contextual inquiry
Contextual inquiry: What it is
Contextual inquiry is a structured form of interviewing that allows the research team to: • Gather interview data • Understand ethnographic insights • Capture physical behaviors and work
patterns !
The data gathered helps inform everything from personas, to product design, to workflow/workplace modification, to content strategy.
5
Contextual inquiry: What it is
User Interview (Influenced by Designer/Strategist)
Contextual Inquiry (Influenced by designer, user and strategist)
Observation (Influenced by end user)
6
Conducting Interviews: needs
Keys to a successful interview are: • An interviewer for formal questioning • An observer for recording physical
behaviors, workflow models and note taking • Trust between interviewer and subject !
The interview is about building a relationship. Even if we feel like we have the right answers, our effort should focus on developing a shared interpretation of an activity or work.
7
Conducting interviews: goals
Key outputs of contextual inquiry should be:
• Watching and probing to observe users as they work and inquire to understand motivations and strategies
• Learn from the user perspective, even you feel like you know the “answers”
• Look for gaps in what a user is leaving out and ask questions to fill them
• Gather both concrete and abstract data to have them focus on actual artifacts and actions
8
The interviewer role
In traditional user interviews, the interviewer asks users a series of questions that relate to the business objectives or research goals. In contextual inquiry, interviewers must:
• Be a facilitator of conversation AND of behavior
• Make the participant feel like an expert, in whatever they’re doing
• Ensure that the interview environment is contextually relevant to the research or tasks to be addressed
• Ensure the participant articulates the processes and methods for work as he/she is doing it
9Photo: Columbia Pictures
The observer role
The observers role in contextual inquiry is to do just that… observe. The goal of having an observer on hand is to
• Document physical behaviors
• Understand how the environment (context) affects the participants ability to complete a task or perform work
• Note patterns that emerge from one interview to the next
• Take photographs or video
10Photo Mike Freedman: https://flic.kr/p/hvZwgb
The Participant role
Participants in contextual inquiry research are equally as responsible for the outcome as the interviewer and observers. Participants are responsible for:
• Doing and answering
• Showing the observer and interviewer complete tasks
• Avoiding assuming that the interviewers will understand “why” something is being done
• Talk to the researchers level of understanding (avoid jargon)
11Photo - DG EMPL: https://flic.kr/p/7yh1oF
Conducting the inquiry
The most important thing to remember when doing contextual inquiry is to avoid things like conference rooms, Skype or usability centers. Participants must be in their own environment (home, office, workspace, etc.)
• I typically send out an email to participants to outline goals, rules of engagement and profess my ignorance
• On arrival, note ambient factors (lighting, temperature, time of day, layouts of things, observable culture, artifacts present, etc.)
• Begin the session with a short questionnaire
12Photo - Mark Hunter: https://flic.kr/p/aZdRXi
Conducting the inquiry - continued
• After your short questionnaire, note that you’ll be doing something completely different and set them to work
• Ask questions that arise during the completion of task, keep the interview free flowing and adjust as needed
• Ask specific questions relating to their thought process, task, and ensure that they feel like their the expert
• Work up to an hour, be ready to move locations if necessary (e.g. workstation change or an environmental stimuli requirement)
13Photo - Jeff Swaim: https://flic.kr/p/e5fATs
Conducting the inquiry - continued
• Document, document, document
• Photograph, photograph, photograph
• Ask, ask, ask
• Ask again
• Spend two hours on analysis for every one hour of inquiry
14Photo - Marco Arment: https://flic.kr/p/411AnZ
Preparing for interpretation
During your interview be sure to:
• Avoid lots of open ended questions that provide less chance for interpretation
• Strike a balance between probing for what you sense as a pattern and allowing the participant to work freely
• Cycle between observing, probing and interpreting
• Be flexible but be consistent in the type of person you are so that trust will develop
15Photo - Hans Splinter: https://flic.kr/p/5tWKPt
Questions?
Questions?
Overview: Interpreting Contextual Inquiry
Photo - Peter Vlk: https://flic.kr/p/64K9LN
FACT
HYPOTHESIS
IMPLICATION
IDEA
Most interactive projects jump from fact to idea immediately, missing work that should happen between research and ideation.
The interpretation sessions are crucial in the content strategy process for persona development and content planning
!
!
Interpretation: Moving beyond facts
21
Interpretation sessions
Team interpretation sessions bring a cross-functional team together to hear the whole story of an interview and capture the insights and learning relevant to the problem.
These sessions should:
• Be conducted within 48 hours of the interviews
• Be moderated by an interviewer who discusses each interview for the benefit of the team
• Assign roles: Moderator (interviewer), work modeler, recorder, task master
22
Goals of the interpretation sessions
Since the sessions are cross functional and collaborative, they’re particularly valuable for transfer of the knowledge that the interviewers and observers learned in the actual interviews.
Teams should:
• Listen and participate in conversation
• Ask questions
• Draw work models
• Record issues, interpretations and ideas based on the interviews
Models for observing work/tasks
There are a variety of ways that observers can use to model work and tasks, depending on the goal of the research. These include:
• Flow Models
• Sequence Models
• Artifact Models
• Cultural Models
• Physical Models
24
Observation Modeling: Flow
FLOW MODELS:
• Show “actors” and their interactions during a process (e.g. A receptionist greeting a visitor upon entry to a hospital lobby)
• Maps all the events that take place during work, process or task
• Are NOT responsible for showing the sequence of events during a work process
25
Attempts To Save Configurtion
KARYNVisits Rebel's website
and researches several vehicles
Schedules Appointment With Ambassador
Configuration Cannot Be Saved
Observation Modeling: Sequence
SEQUENCE MODELS:
• Document the steps taken to perform a task or work
• Build from data captured in a flow model or are produced exclusively
• Can include multiple actors if necessary
26
Intent: Configure A Vehicle
Trigger: Reads reviews and clicks ad on sidebar
Starts to build a small SUV using online tool
Attempts to Save ConfigurationShare button appeared to have a save option that confused user
Observation Modeling: Artifact
ARTIFACT MODELS:
• Provide a view of all artifacts, tools (e.g. mobile phone, tablet, reminder note etc.) used in the work process
• Are typically forms of information, screenshots of how people use digital information
• Are crucial for placemaking, in that they provide understanding where the digital and physical worlds should intersect
27
Collector
Visitor Book
Cultural Model
Ok, I will explain it to you [#39]
Please explain so that I understand [#39]The page from 1493?[#55]
Based on avor [#34]
Book distracts b
y something else
interesti
ng [#71]
Campaign buttons / current history [#60]
Historic interests (1886) [#9] [#59] [#65]
Flavor of reading: Eg Harry Potter [#33]
Does not borrow/loan or give away [#39]
Prefers hard copy books [#43]
Try to preserve connection [#105]
Likes to keep the collection alive [#133]
Recreate the old German library [#140]
Collector really likes old books [#158]
Usually goes to book store to have a lot of fun [#160]
Collects irony [#58]
Likes to reminisce [#77]
How to preserve old books? [#48]
Makes it m
ore real, e
asy to im
agine [#63]
Important to build context [#43]
Plastic Jacket
No physical use of book
AnotherCollecter
Book storeowner
It makes c
ollector to
colle
ct by siz
e [#139]
Visiting to take a look and nd a book [#21]
Collector doesn’t keep notes [#127]
Informs about new
er versions/
opinions about a book [#195]
Ow
ner’s
boo
k bu
ying
pre
fere
nce
[#16
2]
Sometimes c
ollecto
r adds v
alue by completin
g sets
[#150]
Book’s quali
ty, ag
e, an
d price a
re im
porta
nt [#
189]
All books
must
be kep
t saf
e
Price matters more than quality
Observation Modeling: Cultural
CULTURAL MODELS
• Document how environments and other actors in a given place influence the work being done
• Are impacted by things like:
• Socioeconomic status of the user
• Open office vs. traditional offices
• Vary significantly depending on participant background
28
Observation Modeling: physical
PHYSICAL MODELS
• Show the work environment in which work or tasks occur
• Highlight the physical structures, layouts and materials that take part in task completion
• Will vary greatly from participant to participant and with ambient factors like time.
29
Exercise: Interview interpretations
Questions?
Part 2: Affinity Diagrams
Consolidation of the work
When combined with a consolidation of work models, affinity diagrams produce a reliable picture of who and what a design or content program should address.
• The affinity diagram brings together issues and insights across all participants into a wall-sized, hierarchical diagram to reveal the scope of the problem and opportunities
• Consolidated work models bring together each different model separately, to reveal common strategies and intents while retaining and organizing the individual differences
34
THE affinity diagram process
Materials needed: Sticky notes or cards, marking pens and a large work surface (table, wall or even the floor)
Procedure:
1. Record each idea or pattern with a marking pen on a separate sticky note or card. Randomly spread the notes on the work surface so everyone involved can see. The entire team organizes.
35Photo - Alex: https://flic.kr/p/8BsiCV
The affinity diagram process (continued)
2. With minimal or no talking, identify relationships and group notes accordingly. You can move something someone has moved. If something belongs in two groups make another note.
3. Discuss the patterns as a group. Why did things move or not move. Create categories or headings for each group. Identify notes that capture the “meaning” of the groups.
36Photo - Sean Munson: https://flic.kr/p/uEJQr
the Affinity diagram process (continued)
4. Combine groups of notes into larger categories or supergroups if it’s appropriate.
5. Map interview data to the affinity diagrams if you can. Establish patterns among similar participants and begin to note where personas are emerging in relation to your project goals.
37Photo - Sean Munson: https://flic.kr/p/uEJZB
Exercise: Affinity Diagrams
Questions?
Welcome Back!
Meet Rebel Motor Company
Meet REBEL motor coMpany
Rebel Motor Company is an emerging American automotive manufacture hoping to “change the way people buy cars.” The company is dedicated to selling as many cars online as possible, committing a minimal footprint to dealer networks.
Rebel, is dedicated to selling smart, environmentally friendly vehicles that serve a variety of driver needs. The main focus of their website has been on vehicle customization and a smooth online ordering process. After spending time with their users and shoppers, Rebel’s team is hoping to expand its content offering to better meet the needs, behaviors and pain points of potential buyers. They need personas, they need a content strategy.
They need YOUR help.
Photo: Adrien Séné - https://flic.kr/p/5WcY3r
41
RMC’s Goals
Rebel Motor Company wants to use contextual inquiry, personas and planning to modify its content strategy and information architecture to better serve customers. Their primary goals in this initiative are:
1. To increase online-only sales by 20 percent
2. Improve the usability of the online build tool
3. Increase requests for test drives among conquests
4. Increase requests for online and in-person consultations
5. Improve peer-to-peer communication among Rebel owners
42Photo: Audi PR
Research plan
Based on Rebel’s desired outcomes, our research goals should be to:
1. Identify gaps or breakdowns in the online ordering and process
2. Understand pain points, frustrations, barriers and successes of the build tool
3. Understand user desires and expectations for scheduling online, as well as the workflow of ambassador and dealers in the real world
4. Identify patterns and triggers for consultation requests
5. Identify social behaviors, sharing tendencies and triggers in current RMC owners.
43
The plan: Contextual inquiry + Personas
After reviewing Rebel’s goals and approving a research direction, we have established a plan to perform contextual inquiry with a series of owners, RCM intenders (in-market shoppers) and experienced shoppers of durable goods.
We will schedule up to 20 one hour interviews followed by 40 hours of analysis to establish segments for persona planning.
Outputs of research will be: • Affinity diagrams • Personas • A mental model for informing content strategy
44
Let’s Review
Part 3: PERSONAS
(a.k.a “franken-people”)
Photo: Universal Pictures
Why Franken-People?
Personas are made up of real pieces of user research, composited together to form an amalgamated “person” who represents a broader target.
47
Photo: Universal Pictures
Personas: Research approach
48
1
2
3
7Carlos
Matt
Brad
Austin
Nate
Tim
User Interviews
CONSIDERERS ONLINE CONQUESTS
Robert
8
9
10 Jennifer*15
12 Eric
Blake*
Marcy*
13
14
* PURCHASED ITEM $10,000+ ITEM ONLINE
Gary11
4
5
6
OWNERS
Aaron
Julia
Lynn
3
1
2
Personas
CONSIDERER
Cindy
Marco
Michael
ONLINE CONQUESTS
5 Kristopher
OWNER
4 Shannon
Personas: Research approachExtracted patterns allow us to map personas to the people we interview and observe. We then plot them against the business objectives and segment them appropriately
DIGITAL STOREFRONT
BRICK &MORTAR
COMMUNITY FOCUSED
COMMUNITY INDIFFERENT
2 Marco
3MICHAEL
1CINDY
5 KRISTOPHER
4SHANNON
1
2
3
7
Carlos
Matt
Brad
Austin
Nate
Tim
Robert
8
9
10
Jennifer*15
12
Eric
Blake*
Marcy*
13
14
Gary11
4
5
6
Aaron
Julia
Lynn
49
Personas: Segmentation
50
Cindy: Competitive Owner/Considerer
Marco: First Time Buyer/Considerer
Shannon: Hard Sell/Conquest
Overcome fear
"I want to avoid the dealership but I'm nervous about making a purchase this large online."
Customizing for my family
"I need an environmentally friendly vehicle that allows us to do the hobbies that are important to us. "
Finding people like me
"My co-worker has had a great experience with Rebel Motor Company, but I want to be sure that other's like me are equally happy."
Sense of pride
"I like talking with other people who have the same type of vehicle as me. I want to be involved with RMC's community of ambassadors."
Compare vehicles/manufacturers
"I want something that is going to last. I like the design and green touches that RMC offers but I want something that's proven."
Buy with confidence
I've had lots of hand me downs and I'm ready to buy my first car. I want to be sure I'm getting a good deal and get something that feels like me."
Michael: Online Buyer/Conquest
Flexible times and appointments
"I'm a busy guy. I want a company that can accommodate my schedule during the purchase AND service process
Bottom line
"I don't like hidden fees, and loathe dealers. I want to know what I'm going to pay out the door."
Win my business
"I'm a long time Chevy driver. I'm unhappy about a slew of recalls on my last vehicle. Why should I chose Rebel?"
Post Sale Attention
"My Lexus dealer always knows my name when I arrive and understands what I expect from them. I want that experience with my next car."
Style focused
I really like the styling of Rebel Motor Company, what are my other options as far as customization goes?"
Overcome fear
"I like RMC vehicles but there are so few dealers. Who will service my car if I have a problem?"
Kristopher: RMC Vehicle Owner
Sharing my story
"I want to share my experience with key contacts and prospective Rebel buyers. I also would consider being an ambassador and helping spread the word about RMC.
Keep me informed
"I always want to know what's coming for my SUV. It's important to me to connect with others and know what the company is up to.
Reaffirm purchase
"I love being involved in the Rebel community. It means a lot that they invited me to events, and touched base with me after I bought my car."
Let’s Meet Them
Rebel motor Company’s personas: MARCO
52
Marco: First Time Buyer/Considerer
Sense of pride
"I like talking with other people who have the same type of vehicle as me. I want to be involved with RMC's community of ambassadors."
Compare vehicles/manufacturers
"I want something that is going to last. I like the design and green touches that RMC offers but I want something that's proven."
Buy with confidence
I've had lots of hand me downs and I'm ready to buy my first car. I want to be sure I'm getting a good deal and get something that feels like me."
Rebel motor Company’s personas: Michael
53
Michael: Online Buyer/Conquest
Flexible times and appointments
"I'm a busy guy. I want a company that can accommodate my schedule during the purchase AND service process
Bottom line
"I don't like hidden fees, and loathe dealers. I want to know what I'm going to pay out the door."
Win my business
"I'm a long time Chevy driver. I'm unhappy about a slew of recalls on my last vehicle. Why should I chose Rebel?"
Rebel motor Company’s personas: Shannon
54
Shannon: Hard Sell/Conquest
Post Sale Attention
"My Lexus dealer always knows my name when I arrive and understands what I expect from them. I want that experience with my next car."
Style focused
I really like the styling of Rebel Motor Company, what are my other options as far as customization goes?"
Overcome fear
"I like RMC vehicles but there are so few dealers. Who will service my car if I have a problem?"
Rebel motor Company’s personas: KRISTOPHER
55
Kristopher: RMC Vehicle Owner
Sharing my story
"I want to share my experience with key contacts and prospective Rebel buyers. I also would consider being an ambassador and helping spread the word about RMC.
Keep me informed
"I always want to know what's coming for my SUV. It's important to me to connect with others and know what the company is up to.
Reaffirm purchase
"I love being involved in the Rebel community. It means a lot that they invited me to events, and touched base with me after I bought my car."
Rebel motor Company’s personas: Cindy
56
Cindy: Competitive Owner/Considerer
Overcome fear
"I want to avoid the dealership but I'm nervous about making a purchase this large online."
Customizing for my family
"I need an environmentally friendly vehicle that allows us to do the hobbies that are important to us. "
Finding people like me
"My co-worker has had a great experience with Rebel Motor Company, but I want to be sure that other's like me are equally happy."
Cindy has a heightened awareness and care for the world around her. She has taken steps to ensure that her family is able to recycle as much as possible. She uses re-usable shopping bags and their family uses a single, energy efficient vehicle (a Toyota Prius). Cindy wants another energy efficient vehicle but one that offers more space for her family, pets and hobbies. She is very open to potentially purchasing a vehicle online.
She spends a lot of time in her kayak and considers herself to be a conservationist. In her spare time she likes up cycling, hiking and being with family.
Cindy is a current Hybrid owner that is dissatisfied with the utility of the vehicle. She and her husband want desperately to find an environmentally friendly vehicle that will meet the needs of her growing family and their "outdoorsy" activities.
Cindy has made major purchases online in the past and her husband purchased a motorcycle sight unseen from eBay Motors last year. One of her co-workers used the online concierge service from Rebel and has raved about it.
She has started browsing on the Rebel Motor Company website and has been customizing a mid-size environmentally-friendly small SUV and uses their mobile site to share her inspiration with her husband.
Cindy and her husband have decided to use the online tools and have chatted with ambassadors on Rebel's website. They ask a local dealer to visit them at their home to compare a small Hybrid SUV with their Prius.
“I'm always looking for an opportunity to lessen my impact on the environment. I want a car that meets my family's needs and aligns with my values”
Age: 40Location: San Diego, CAWork Life: Marketing Director at Whole Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan (12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k Household
Relationship with RMC:Unhappy with her current vehicle, Cindy has taken it upon herself to gather information from her friends, family and co-workers to learn more about the vehicles in RMC's lineup. She has been impressed by the feedback and has spent time configuring several vehicles on the RMC website. She likes the company's small carbon footprint and cavalier business model.
Cindy's Digital Life:Cindy considers herself pretty adept at technology and uses a wide range of different devices at work and at home. She keeps a strong separation of her technology between work and home and has a different computer and cell phone that she uses for each.
Daily Technological Diet:▪ IBM Thinkpad
Used for communicating marketing plans, sending emails and working at her daily job.
▪ iPhone Work issued and used for email, texting
and phone application
▪ Macintosh Laptops Both she and her husband, have
MacBook Airs for personal use.
▪ Samsung Android Smartphone Personal Android phone, used for text
messaging, email, social networking
▪ iPad Both personal and business use.
Preferred when traveling, used for reading, email, browsing and research
About Cindy
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use 57
“I'm always looking for an opportunity to lessen my impact on the environment. I want a car that meets my family's needs and aligns with my values”
Age: 40Location: San Diego, CAWork Life: Marketing Director at Whole Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan (12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k Household
58
“I'm always looking for an opportunity to lessen my impact on the environment. I want a car that meets my family's needs and aligns with my values”
Age: 40Location: San Diego, CAWork Life: Marketing Director at Whole Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan (12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k Household
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use59
“I'm always looking for an opportunity to lessen my impact on the environment. I want a car that meets my family's needs and aligns with my values”
Age: 40Location: San Diego, CAWork Life: Marketing Director at Whole Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan (12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k Household
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use
Cindy has a heightened awareness and care for the world around her. She has taken steps to ensure that her family is able to recycle as much as possible. She uses re-usable shopping bags and their family uses a single, energy efficient vehicle (a Toyota Prius). Cindy wants another energy efficient vehicle but one that offers more space for her family, pets and hobbies. She is very open to potentially purchasing a vehicle online.
She spends a lot of time in her kayak and considers herself to be a conservationist. In her spare time she likes up cycling, hiking and being with family.
Cindy is a current Hybrid owner that is dissatisfied with the utility of the vehicle. She and her husband want desperately to find an environmentally friendly vehicle that will meet the needs of her growing family and their "outdoorsy" activities.
Cindy has made major purchases online in the past and her husband purchased a motorcycle sight unseen from eBay Motors last year. One of her co-workers used the online concierge service from Rebel and has raved about it.
She has started browsing on the Rebel Motor Company website and has been customizing a mid-size environmentally-friendly small SUV and uses their mobile site to share her inspiration with her husband.
Cindy and her husband have decided to use the online tools and have chatted with ambassadors on Rebel's website. They ask a local dealer to visit them at their home to compare a small Hybrid SUV with their Prius.
About Cindy
60
Cindy has a heightened awareness and care for the world around her. She has taken steps to ensure that her family is able to recycle as much as possible. She uses re-usable shopping bags and their family uses a single, energy efficient vehicle (a Toyota Prius). Cindy wants another energy efficient vehicle but one that offers more space for her family, pets and hobbies. She is very open to potentially purchasing a vehicle online.
She spends a lot of time in her kayak and considers herself to be a conservationist. In her spare time she likes up cycling, hiking and being with family.
Cindy is a current Hybrid owner that is dissatisfied with the utility of the vehicle. She and her husband want desperately to find an environmentally friendly vehicle that will meet the needs of her growing family and their "outdoorsy" activities.
Cindy has made major purchases online in the past and her husband purchased a motorcycle sight unseen from eBay Motors last year. One of her co-workers used the online concierge service from Rebel and has raved about it.
She has started browsing on the Rebel Motor Company website and has been customizing a mid-size environmentally-friendly small SUV and uses their mobile site to share her inspiration with her husband.
Cindy and her husband have decided to use the online tools and have chatted with ambassadors on Rebel's website. They ask a local dealer to visit them at their home to compare a small Hybrid SUV with their Prius.
“I'm always looking for an opportunity to lessen my impact on the environment. I want a car that meets my family's needs and aligns with my values”
Age: 40Location: San Diego, CAWork Life: Marketing Director at Whole Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan (12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k Household
Relationship with RMC:Unhappy with her current vehicle, Cindy has taken it upon herself to gather information from her friends, family and co-workers to learn more about the vehicles in RMC's lineup. She has been impressed by the feedback and has spent time configuring several vehicles on the RMC website. She likes the company's small carbon footprint and cavalier business model.
Cindy's Digital Life:Cindy considers herself pretty adept at technology and uses a wide range of different devices at work and at home. She keeps a strong separation of her technology between work and home and has a different computer and cell phone that she uses for each.
Daily Technological Diet:▪ IBM Thinkpad
Used for communicating marketing plans, sending emails and working at her daily job.
▪ iPhone Work issued and used for email, texting
and phone application
▪ Macintosh Laptops Both she and her husband, have
MacBook Airs for personal use.
▪ Samsung Android Smartphone Personal Android phone, used for text
messaging, email, social networking
▪ iPad Both personal and business use.
Preferred when traveling, used for reading, email, browsing and research
About Cindy
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use 61
Process / Workflow Social / Relational Content / Research Finding People / Locations
Find A Person Like MeOn theWeb
On theRebel Motors Site
Visits competitive sitesReads online reviews Reads Industry Article Looks into forums
Looks for sponsors from bloggers she follows
Reads lifestyle content
Seeks Out Current Owners For Chat
Performs Web Searches
Customize for my familyOn theWeb
On theRebel Motors Site
Investigates Dealer LocationsWishes She Could Ask Directly
Uses Car Configuration ToolReviews Dealer Info
Overcome fearOn theWeb
On theRebel Motors Site
Visits Industry Financing Pages
Uses Site SearchSchedules to talk with an Ambassador and Dealer
Looks for Knowledge BaseFinds introductory ownerships information Unable to Find What She Needs
Polls friends on Facebook and Pinterest
Watches Online VideosChats with Concierge
Cannot Find Content She Needs
Wants more detailed info
Reads Owner Documents
Reads Reviews of Online Ordering
Strongly Considering Online Buy
Shares Configuration with Sister and Husband
Schedules Online Consultation Schedules in person meeting with Ambassador
62
Cindy has a heightened awareness and care for the world around her. She has taken steps to ensure that her family is able to recycle as much as possible. She uses re-usable shopping bags and their family uses a single, energy efficient vehicle (a Toyota Prius). Cindy wants another energy efficient vehicle but one that offers more space for her family, pets and hobbies. She is very open to potentially purchasing a vehicle online.
She spends a lot of time in her kayak and considers herself to be a conservationist. In her spare time she likes up cycling, hiking and being with family.
Cindy is a current Hybrid owner that is dissatisfied with the utility of the vehicle. She and her husband want desperately to find an environmentally friendly vehicle that will meet the needs of her growing family and their "outdoorsy" activities.
Cindy has made major purchases online in the past and her husband purchased a motorcycle sight unseen from eBay Motors last year. One of her co-workers used the online concierge service from Rebel and has raved about it.
She has started browsing on the Rebel Motor Company website and has been customizing a mid-size environmentally-friendly small SUV and uses their mobile site to share her inspiration with her husband.
Cindy and her husband have decided to use the online tools and have chatted with ambassadors on Rebel's website. They ask a local dealer to visit them at their home to compare a small Hybrid SUV with their Prius.
“I'm always looking for an opportunity to lessen my impact on the environment. I want a car that meets my family's needs and aligns with my values”
Age: 40Location: San Diego, CAWork Life: Marketing Director at Whole Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan (12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k Household
Relationship with RMC:Unhappy with her current vehicle, Cindy has taken it upon herself to gather information from her friends, family and co-workers to learn more about the vehicles in RMC's lineup. She has been impressed by the feedback and has spent time configuring several vehicles on the RMC website. She likes the company's small carbon footprint and cavalier business model.
Cindy's Digital Life:Cindy considers herself pretty adept at technology and uses a wide range of different devices at work and at home. She keeps a strong separation of her technology between work and home and has a different computer and cell phone that she uses for each.
Daily Technological Diet:▪ IBM Thinkpad
Used for communicating marketing plans, sending emails and working at her daily job.
▪ iPhone Work issued and used for email, texting
and phone application
▪ Macintosh Laptops Both she and her husband, have
MacBook Airs for personal use.
▪ Samsung Android Smartphone Personal Android phone, used for text
messaging, email, social networking
▪ iPad Both personal and business use.
Preferred when traveling, used for reading, email, browsing and research
About Cindy
Process / Workflow Social / Relational Content / Research Finding People / Locations
Find A Person Like MeOn theWeb
On theRebel Motors Site
Visits competitive sitesReads online reviews Reads Industry Article Looks into forums
Looks for sponsors from bloggers she follows
Reads lifestyle content
Seeks Out Current Owners For Chat
Performs Web Searches
Customize for my familyOn theWeb
On theRebel Motors Site
Investigates Dealer LocationsWishes She Could Ask Directly
Uses Car Configuration ToolReviews Dealer Info
Overcome fearOn theWeb
On theRebel Motors Site
Visits Industry Financing Pages
Uses Site SearchSchedules to talk with an Ambassador and Dealer
Looks for Knowledge BaseFinds introductory ownerships information Unable to Find What She Needs
Cindy's Scenarios
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use
Polls friends on Facebook and Pinterest
Watches Online VideosChats with Concierge
Cannot Find Content She Needs
Wants more detailed info
Reads Owner Documents
Reads Reviews of Online Ordering
Strongly Considering Online Buy
Shares Configuration with Sister and Husband
Schedules Online Consultation Schedules in person meeting with Ambassador
Cindy Key Scenarios
Finding A Person Like MeCindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she sees on RMC's site is relevant for her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsRobin's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle impact my daily life?
Robin's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLO
W
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
Cindy Key Scenarios
Finding A Person Like MeCindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she sees on RMC's site is relevant for her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsRobin's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle impact my daily life?
Robin's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLO
W
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
Cindy Key Scenarios
Finding A Person Like MeCindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she sees on RMC's site is relevant for her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsRobin's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle impact my daily life?
Robin's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLO
W
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
63
Scenarios: User Engagement & QuestionsFinding A Person Like MeCindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she sees on RMC's site is relevant for her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsRobin's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle impact my daily life?
Robin's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLO
W
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
64
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she sees on RMC's site is relevant for her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsCindy's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle impact my daily life?
Cindy's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLO
W
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
Scenarios: User Engagement & Questions
65
Finding A Person Like MeCindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she sees on RMC's site is relevant for her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsCindy's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle impact my daily life?
Cindy's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLO
W
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
66
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she sees on RMC's site is relevant for her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from the owners group.
Potential Pain Points
Questions?
Exercise: Review Persona Segments
Photo: Tom Carley: https://flic.kr/p/e2sdtx
Exercise: COGNITIVE DIAGRAMS
Kudos to Kissane
• Now that we understand business needs, understand persona needs and pain points, we can think about content strategy (6 hours later!)
• This cognitive diagram will help you start to frame what a user needs in order to take action on your site
OVERCOME FEAR(Via testimonial, Use Cases, Financial
Examples)
PLAN AND IMMERSE(Browse an expert, Understand Tools)
EXPLORE OPTIONS(Browse options and understand
qualifications
TAKE ACTION(Apply for pin, Download Forms,
Contact Advisor)
70
chat with a counsellor
EXPLORE OPTIONS
understand federal aid
am I eligible?
what are my financial impacts?
PLAN & IMMERSE OVERCOME FEAR TAKE ACTION
are there different kinds of federal
aid?
apply for aid
how do I apply?
what forms do I need?
what education do I need to apply?
what happens after I apply?
understand repayment
understand private aid
what are my financial impacts?
understand student aid
what is a grant?
what is a loan?
what is a scholarship?
can I apply for admittance
without aid?
what are the payment
schedules?
can i postpone repayment?
what happens if i miss a payment?
self assesment
what tests do I need to take?
repayment calculators
chat with a counsellor
account management
what colleges should I apply to?
how often do I have to apply for
aid?
identify with others
am I eligible?
how does private aid differ from
federal aid?
apply for financial aid/pin
what are my application
options?
how soon do I need to apply?
get answers
decision tree process
online application
aren't most students in their
20s?
can you go back to school and still be
a good parent?
will I still be able to work?
new student checklists
adult student testimonials
read/create forum topics
'getting started' materials
adult student testimonials
overview content
overview content contact forms
online application
connect to representative
plan examples
when do I start repaying?
how long will it take?
who has to pay if I die?
who has to pay if I die?
outreach services
testimonials and timelines
checklists and overview
create accountoverview content
Part 4: Mental Modeling
What is a mental model?A representation of the thought, and actionable processes, used to achieve a set of goals in a narrowly defined scope
73
chat with a counsellor
EXPLORE OPTIONS
understand federal aid
am I eligible?
what are my financial impacts?
PLAN & IMMERSE OVERCOME FEAR TAKE ACTION
are there different kinds of federal
aid?
apply for aid
how do I apply?
what forms do I need?
what education do I need to apply?
what happens after I apply?
understand repayment
understand private aid
what are my financial impacts?
understand student aid
what is a grant?
what is a loan?
what is a scholarship?
can I apply for admittance without aid?
what are the payment
schedules?
can i postpone repayment?
what happens if i miss a payment?
self assesment
what tests do I need to take?
repayment calculators
chat with a counsellor
account management
what colleges should I apply to?
how often do I have to apply for
aid?
identify with others
am I eligible?
how does private aid differ from
federal aid?
apply for financial aid/pin
what are my application
options?
how soon do I need to apply?
get answers
decision tree process
online application
aren't most students in their
20s?
can you go back to school and still be
a good parent?
will I still be able to work?
new student checklists
adult student testimonials
read/create forum topics
'getting started' materials
adult student testimonials
overview content
overview content contact forms
online application
connect to representative
plan examples
when do I start repaying?
how long will it take?
who has to pay if I die?
who has to pay if I die?
outreach services
testimonials and timelines
checklists and overview
create accountoverview content
Starting with a hypothesis
The cognitive diagrams we finished in the last exercise will serve as a base for a content plan.
The four points we need to address before action can occur are “engagements” that require content
OVERCOME FEAR(Via testimonial, Use Cases, Financial
Examples)
PLAN AND IMMERSE(Browse an expert, Understand Tools)
EXPLORE OPTIONS(Browse options and understand
qualifications
TAKE ACTION(Apply for pin, Download Forms,
Contact Advisor)
Find your Base
One of the most important parts of a communication focused mental model is understanding the engagement that you want to influence with the content.
This gives your content a reason for being and something to measure against.
EXPLORE OPTIONS BASE(Engagement)
Below the line: The Roots
Remember all those content inventories content strategists keep telling you to have?
Dig em out and plug it into your modelEXPLORE OPTIONS BASE
(Engagement)
chat with a counsellor
decision tree process
overview content
overview content
plan examples
overview content
ROOTS(Existing Systems & Content)
From inquiry: Mapping intentions
Intentions should come directly from your personas, which are based on your inquiry!
Intentions relate directly to the engagement and should further qualify why you need or don’t need a piece of content.
EXPLORE OPTIONS BASE(Engagement)
chat with a counsellor
decision tree process
overview content
overview content
plan examples
overview content
ROOTS(Existing Systems & Content)
understand federal aid
understand private aid
understand student aid
SUPPORT STRUCTURE (Intentions)
The New things: tasks
New content builds upon intentions and serve as the towers for our mental models.
I tend to frame tasks as questions because it allows me to use the persona’s frame of reference to talk about a content need.
When we focus on tasks, we probably have content that is useable for humans and search engines.
EXPLORE OPTIONS BASE(Engagement)
chat with a counsellor
decision tree process
overview content
overview content
plan examples
overview content
ROOTS(Existing Systems & Content)
understand federal aid
understand private aid
understand student aid
SUPPORT STRUCTURE (Intentions)
am I eligible?
what are my financial impacts?
are there different kinds of federal
aid?
how do I apply?
what are my financial impacts?
what is a grant?
what is a loan?
what is a scholarship?
am I eligible?
how does private aid differ from
federal aid?TOWER(Tasks)
And we keep going
chat with a counsellor
EXPLORE OPTIONS
understand federal aid
am I eligible?
what are my financial impacts?
PLAN & IMMERSE OVERCOME FEAR TAKE ACTION
are there different kinds of federal
aid?
apply for aid
how do I apply?
what forms do I need?
what education do I need to apply?
what happens after I apply?
understand repayment
understand private aid
what are my financial impacts?
understand student aid
what is a grant?
what is a loan?
what is a scholarship?
can I apply for admittance
without aid?
what are the payment
schedules?
can i postpone repayment?
what happens if i miss a payment?
self assesment
what tests do I need to take?
repayment calculators
chat with a counsellor
account management
what colleges should I apply to?
how often do I have to apply for
aid?
identify with others
am I eligible?
how does private aid differ from
federal aid?
apply for financial aid/pin
what are my application
options?
how soon do I need to apply?
get answers
decision tree process
online application
aren't most students in their
20s?
can you go back to school and still be
a good parent?
will I still be able to work?
new student checklists
adult student testimonials
read/create forum topics
'getting started' materials
adult student testimonials
overview content
overview content contact forms
online application
connect to representative
plan examples
when do I start repaying?
how long will it take?
who has to pay if I die?
who has to pay if I die?
outreach services
testimonials and timelines
checklists and overview
create accountoverview content
Exercise: Mental Modeling
Questions?
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