Creating a user scenario for our product Raiden has been key for us to understand the interaction between a user and the product. It serves as an effective tool to determine the needs the user may have and the tasks he/she completes when using the product.
I have been working with two scenario techniques during the design process. The first technique is to think about user scenario as a business-planning tool. Gathering data based on the research the rest of the group have been doing about the market and target audience. Focusing on costs, marketability of the product, between others. This has served us to identify clearly the target audience allowing us to create an accurate user scenario.
The Raiden user is a man or a woman who uses his/her bicycle primarily for commuting. He/she enjoys acquiring nice accessories for his/her bicycle. Likes for it to look sleek, fashionable and sophisticated but still keep it highly functional. He/she would make an investment on an accessory for his/her bicycle if it were something that will add value aesthetically speaking as well as performance. He/she loves leather goods, products that are elegant and durable. He/she also appreciates portability, acquiring products that make their lives easier by function in more than one single context. Since he/she rides his/her bicycle everyday all around the city as a medium of transportation he/she is always looking for accessories that can be easily detached from the bicycle so that they don’t get stolen.
Other scenario techniques that I am working with are creating storyboards and writing stories. These two have been key to determine the interaction between the user and the product.
Storyboards have been crucial for me to provide a visual description of the use of the product and identify context, product specs and timing and of course for communicating my ideas visually to the group. They serve to show the whole setting, where and when the interaction happens, the actions that take place, how the product is used and how it behaves, and the lifestyle, motivations and goals of the users.
Last week I worked as well on creating a user scenario storyboard but I realized that I needed to be more specific. Since this week based on research we all have done we have identified more clearly the target audience, I am redesigning the user scenario storyboard in order for it to be more specific and visually clear.
I created the following guideline for myself in order to do this:
1. The first step is to create a user character and simulations.
2. Determine what is the message I want to give out through the story of this user character.
3. Design the timeline. Short storylines that describe the user’s routine, needs and likes. In short, he/she lifestyle.
In order to successfully do this I like to start by writing stories. Short descriptions in order to communicate ideas about how and where the user would use the product, under which conditions, with whom, at what time of the day, how often, etc.
For this week I will continue on finishing this user scenario storyboard in order to apply the information gathered from this and the one gathered by the rest of the team to our prototype.
Raiden 