In this chapter we consider the who, what and where of human interactions with computer systems. Who are the users? They are not just the person facing a screen or addressing a smart speaker, but everyone affected directly or indirectly, taking into account their diversity in terms of physical and cognitive capabilities, age, education and social relationships. What do they want to do? The tasks they are involved with may be formally defined in a work setting or ad hoc in the home, on holiday or while shopping, and are often part of a wider role or set of activities, especially when we consider the use of AI. Where are they? Every interaction with a device happens in a physical location, maybe in an office, at home, or on a bicycle, and in a wider social and technical context. The chapter will also consider the methods that user researchers use to uncover the less obvious aspects of users in their situations, and how this is recorded to communicate with others and to inform design, including scenarios, the rich storytelling of design.
Contents
- Who — users and stakeholders
- Stakeholders
- Diversity
- Understanding people
- Differing needs and conflicts
- Who decides
- Where — physical, technical and social context
- Physical context
- Technological context
- Social and organisational context
- What — tasks and activities
- Perception and action
- Tasks and goals
- Activities and roles
- Change
- When — long-term interaction
- Broadening our focus in time
- Extended episodic interaction
- Workflows, user journeys and triggers
- AI — two tasks
- How to find out — investigating and recording
- Knowing about and working with
- Talking
- Observing
- Seeing the invisible
- Hard to reach groups
- How to record
- Representing people
- Representing situations
- Representing action
- Chapter Keypoints
- Additional reading
Glossary items referenced in this chapter
action potential, activity, activity theory, adaptation, affordance, AI personas, augmented reality glasses, bandwidth, breakdown, buffering, chunking, cognitive task analysis, complexity, cultural probes, direct observation, disabilities, embodiment, estrangement, extended episodic interaction, focus groups, glitches, goal, hierarchical task analysis, intention, interaction cycle, latency, mistakes, motor tasks, one-to-one interviews, power dynamics, privilege, questionnaires, resynchronise, role, scenario, security, service design, slips, supported task, surveys, task analysis, touchpoints, triggers, uncertainty, user journeys, user needs, user profiles, workflows