We're all familiar with the concept of mental modeling, but why do we typically only use this practice in the design of a system? We obviously think about content when we’re starting to brainstorm a design and we think about content when we interview our users, but why don't we leverage the mental models we’ve created when we take on a new digital project when we plan the content and materials that eventually populate that system?
I believe mental models can work harder and can be a key driver for creating a content strategy that can evolve with our users.
This talk will present an alternative (or extension) to the traditional mental model by focusing on the material that populates our digital experiences. We’ll cover how to add content specific inquiries to the information gathering process used to inform traditional mental models; and how to modify them to inform everything from story mapping, content planning and long term governance of digital systems over time.
This type of mental modeling will be illustrated via case study.
10. THESE ARE BAD
Content Mapping
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11. THESE ARE BAD
Content Mapping
UX/Mental
Modeler
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12. HUG IT OUT. GET TO WORK
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13. CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
Interview Contextual Inquiry Observation
(Influenced by (Influenced by (Influenced by end
Designer/Strategist) designer, user and user)
strategist)
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19. PERSONAL-SITUATIONAL CONTEXT
Task Need Task
Task Situation Task
Need
Need Task
Task Task
Task
SCENARIO REQUIRING CONTENT
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20. SITUATIONAL-BEHAVIORAL CONTEXT
Task Need Task
Physical Emotional
Task Situation Task
Need
Need Cognitive Task
Task Task
Task
CONTEXTUAL CONTENT STRATEGY
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21. START WITH HYPOTHESIS
EXPLORE OPTIONS
(Browse options and understand
qualifications
OVERCOME FEAR
PLAN AND IMMERSE
(Via testimonial, Use Cases, Financial
(Browse an expert, Understand Tools)
Examples)
TAKE ACTION
(Apply for pin, Download Forms,
Contact Advisor)
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22. WORKING ADULT - SEEKING FINANCIAL AID
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27. References
(Slide 5) Sleeping Woman - photographer: Subtle Mistakes
(Slide 6) Man Thinking - photographer: Panther1619
(Slides 7-8) Diagrams: Copyright Rosenfeld Media (CC BY-SA 2.0)
(Slide 9) Silos -photographer: Gnuru
(Slides 13-15) Personal Behavioral Context and Situational Context Graphics:
Modified from original concept created by Andrew Hinton
Note: All Photos Used were used with permission via a Creative Commons License or with expressed
written permission of owner.
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Editor's Notes
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How we perceive things varies on anything from the temperature in the room to how much sleep we got the night before and our contexts are ALWAYS shifting, whether that’s situational, behavioral or through some other combination of factors. \n
Men have six and a half times more gray matter (partly responsible for information processing) than women do. Conversely ladies have10 times as much white matter -- the part of the brain that's I partially responsible for connecting information processing centers (that’s why women typically are better multitaskers).\n
We can do things like \n
The content map includes all functionality that already exists and is planned for your solution. Your content map should include all the ways you serve people, including things like monthly account statements or yearly awards banquets, registration for training courses, or a mortgage calculator. Anything that has to do with your relationship with those you serve should be included in your content map.\nFor Young, the “content map” structure makes little difference to the mental model. The important thing is that the boxes will fit underneath the towers that will ultimately be a part of the solution. My approach differs a bit from Young’s in that I find it much more beneficial to the user experience team if I build the “content map” in the form of a mental model as opposed to the traditional content inventory or visual map that she highlights in her book.\n\n
Keeping these processes independent of one another is dangerous because it creates potential pitfalls for context. \n
Keeping these processes independent of one another is dangerous because it creates potential pitfalls for context. \n
Even if it’s uncomfortable, these processes must be brought together, for the sake of context and user empath.\n
Contextual inquiry is basically a structured field interviewing method, based on a few core principles that differentiate this method from plain, journalistic interviewing. I want to STRESS that inquiry is more a discovery process than an evaluative process; more like learning than testing. It should be completed by UX/IA and the person responsible for content planning. \n
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This was generated from a combination of in site side search analytics, stakeholder interview and cafe testing. \n
Get To Work\n
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This is really, really painful at first, and takes massive amounts of organization and time depending on the size of your organization, scope of your project.\n