[Debian-NP-Commits] r90 - trunk/docs/report

Enrico Zini debian-np-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org
Fri, 18 Jun 2004 18:08:38 -0600


Author: enrico
Date: Fri Jun 18 18:08:37 2004
New Revision: 90

Modified:
   trunk/docs/report/03socialspec
Log:
Complete the introduction to personas
Added all brainstormed personas to the list


Modified: trunk/docs/report/03socialspec
==============================================================================
--- trunk/docs/report/03socialspec	(original)
+++ trunk/docs/report/03socialspec	Fri Jun 18 18:08:37 2004
@@ -25,60 +25,34 @@
 also his/her unique quirks, which are likely not shared by the other persons
 you're designing for.
 
-Taking a real person as a reference, means designing for that person, and only
+Taking a real person as a reference means designing for that person, and only
 that: it's the same difference that lies between custom-tailoring a dress
 around a specific customer or producing a line of trousers of a given size, for
 a given kind of people.
 
+Sometimes it may happen that the design needs to target more than one persona:
+that's a good indicator of the need to develop multiple different softwares, or
+multiple different interfaces to the same software.  This is because in a good
+software, or at least in its interface, we codify the needs, the habits, the
+language, the knowledge, the goals, the tasks of its intended type of users.
 
-TODO: multiple personas (are a sign of needing multiple different softwares)
+Once the persona has been defined, it is ithe main scaffold of the design: all
+other design and implementation choices will depend on the persona.
 
+Extra care must be paid in not changing the persona during further development
+stages, because the intentions of doing so usually arise from the will to adapt
+the target user to some design simplification, or, surprisingly more often,
+from instinctive choices dictated by the designers' and developers' taste.
 
+Choosing a persona could be seen as formalising the "intended audience" part of
+the "social specification" of a software being designed.
 
 
-Choose your stereotypes wisely. 
-Whatever kind of user you are designing for, your persona must be the
-<I>average sample</I> of that kind.</P>
+---------------------- All brainstormed personas
 
 
-
-<H3 CLASS="western">Using a persona</H3>
-<P CLASS="western">The persona you created has an extremely valuable
-potential: it describes what kind of person is supposed to be happy
-and satisfied when using the software you're designing.  It will be
-the main scaffold of your design: all other design and implementation
-choices will depend on the persona.</P>
-<P CLASS="western">Pay extra care in not changing the persona during
-further development stages: it's quite instinctive to say &bdquo;Sure,
-Mr. Aldo Waldorf is a 60 years old man who just wants to store his
-digital pictures, but maybe he's curious to see a raw dump of the
-EXIF details: let's implement an Advanced menu with stuff like that&ldquo;.
- It's really not &bdquo;Aldo Waldorf&ldquo;, your prototype persona,
-that needs that feature: it's you!  Aldo will most probably see
-&bdquo;Advanced&ldquo;, try the option, see some incomprehensible
-gadget and conclude he's not advanced enough for computers.  That
-feature is more likely to make Aldo feel stupid.  If you tend to bend
-and stretch your persona, you are creating in Cooper words an <I>elastic
-user</I>, which justifies any choice you make and renders the entire
-point of having persona completely useless.</P>
-<P CLASS="western">Please read again the discussion about Aldo in the
-previous paragraph.  See how it's easy to reason about users when you
-have a persona defining what concept of user you are doing?</P>
-<P CLASS="western">Using personas rocks!  The concept was proposed by
-Cooper in 1999 already.  Why does it take so long for us to start
-mastering the idea?</P>
-
----------------------- Personas
-
-
-<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
-
-<html>
-<head>
-<title>Personas: Andrew Taylor the Unemployed Technician</title>
-</head>
-<body>
-
+<h1>Andrew Taylor the Unemployed Technician</h1>
+ 
 <!--
  - Expert but unemployed
  - Full of free time
@@ -88,8 +62,6 @@
  - Looking for useful things to do
 -->
 
-<h1>Andrew Taylor the Unemployed Technician</h1>
- 
 <p>
   Andrew is a 45 years old technician formerly employed by Parametrics
   Consulting ltd.  He has lots of background with Windows, he completed MSCE
@@ -109,23 +81,10 @@
   the "time off".
 </p>
 
-</body>
-</html>
-
-<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
-Local variables:
-sgml-indent-step: 0
-sgml-indent-data: 0
-End:
--->
-<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
 
-<html>
-<head>
-<title>Personas: Michael Stone (a.k.a Fig Leaf)</title>
-</head>
-<body>
 
+<h1>Michael Stone (a.k.a Fig Leaf)</h1>
+ 
 <!--
  - Aware of privacy issues
  - Lack of time
@@ -134,8 +93,6 @@
  - Groups of people interested in using online services or kiosks
 -->
 
-<h1>Michael Stone (a.k.a Fig Leaf)</h1>
- 
 <p>
  Fig Leaf is a traveling protester which goes from timber site to timber site
  to do tree sitting or chain himself in front of bulldozers, continuously
@@ -156,126 +113,7 @@
  frequently.
 </p>
 
-</body>
-</html>
-
-<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
-Local variables:
-sgml-indent-step: 0
-sgml-indent-data: 0
-End:
--->
-<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
-
-<html>
-<head>
-<title>All Personas</title>
-</head>
-<body>
-
-<h1>All personas</h1>
-
-<h2>Andrew Taylor the Unemployed Technician</h2>
-
-<!--
- - Expert but unemployed
- - Full of free time
- - Volunteer
- - Looking (not too hard) for job and more into building experience
- - Frustrated with windows and viruses
- - Looking for useful things to do
--->
- 
-<p>
-  Andrew is a 45 years old technician formerly employed by Parametrics
-  Consulting ltd.  He has lots of background with Windows, he completed MSCE
-  courses, and he's very frustrated with Windows because of ongoing virus
-  outbreaks. <a href="andrew.html">[...]</a>
-</p>
-
-
-<h2>Fig Leaf, the Traveling Protester</h2>
- 
-<!--
- - Aware of privacy issues
- - Lack of time
- - Not supporting corporative infrastructure
- - Volunteer
- - Groups of people interested in using online services or kiosks
--->
-
-<p>
- Fig Leaf is a traveling protester which goes from timber site to timber site
- to do tree sitting or chain himself in front of bulldozers, continuously
- traveling across the USA. <a href="fig_leaf.html">[...]</a>
-</p>
-
-
-<h2>Katarina Novakova, the Circuit Rider</h2>
-
-<p>
-Katarina Novakova is sponsored by a local foundation in Slovakia to work as
-a technology consultant for a group of non profit organizations helping
-disabled kids. <a href="katarina_novakova.html">[...]</a>
-</p>
-
 
-<h2>Sprout, the Society Changer</h2>
-
-<!--
- - Aware of privacy issues
- - Act on behalf of a group
- - Lack of time
- - Not willing to support corporative infrastructure
- - Volunteer
- - Existing experience with Macintosh or Windows
- - Interested in publishing
- - People interested in setting up services, like setting up an OS in their
-   computer to give services to other people
--->
-
-<p>
-Sprout is part of collective who are very interested in promoting
-their alternative lifestyle. 
-</p>
-
-<p>
-They are very concerned with privacy and security issues because they
-are involved in sensitive politcal projects that if their personal
-information fell into the wrong hands their project, and possibly
-their safety would be endangerd. They do not want their digital tracks
-to be gathered and do not want to provide personal data for any
-purposes. <a href="sprout.html">[...]</a>
-</p>
-
-
-<h2>Pietro, the Administrator</h2>
-
-<p>
-Pietro is volunteering his technical skills with a small non-profit
-organization. He has taken the task of administrating their server,
-and is the only one working on it. He has some experience with Linux,
-but can only spend so much time a week working on their server, and
-would like to find more people to help. <a href="pietro.html">[...]</a>
-</p>
-
-
-</body>
-</html>
-
-<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
-Local variables:
-sgml-indent-step: 0
-sgml-indent-data: 0
-End:
--->
-<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
-
-<html>
-<head>
-<title>Personas: Katarina Novakova</title>
-</head>
-<body>
 
 <h1>Katarina Novakova, the Circuit Rider</h1>
 
@@ -333,22 +171,7 @@
 after the Tactical Tech event.
 </p>
 
-</body>
-</html>
-
-<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
-Local variables:
-sgml-indent-step: 0
-sgml-indent-data: 0
-End:
--->
-<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
 
-<html>
-<head>
-<title>Marisa, the Curious</title>
-</head>
-<body>
 
 <h1>Marisa, the Curious</h1>
 
@@ -379,22 +202,6 @@
 about.
 </p>
 
-</body>
-</html>
-
-<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
-Local variables:
-sgml-indent-step: 0
-sgml-indent-data: 0
-End:
--->
-<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
-
-<html>
-<head>
-<title>Pietro, the Administrator</title>
-</head>
-<body>
 
 <h1>Pietro, the Administrator</h1>
 
@@ -443,23 +250,11 @@
 with others and generally feel as if he is part of a larger community.
 </p>
 
-</body>
-</html>
 
-<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
-Local variables:
-sgml-indent-step: 0
-sgml-indent-data: 0
-End:
--->
-<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
-
-<html>
-<head>
-<title>Personas: Sprout</title>
-</head>
-<body>
+<h1>Sprout, the society changer</h1>
 
+<img src="./sprout.jpg">
+ 
 <!--
  - Aware of privacy issues
  - Act on behalf of a group
@@ -472,10 +267,6 @@
    computer to give services to other people
 -->
 
-<img src="./sprout.jpg">
-
-<h1>Sprout</h1>
- 
 <p>
 Sprout is part of collective who are very interested in promoting
 their alternative lifestyle. 
@@ -523,12 +314,100 @@
 machine, and would prefer things to be very stable and reliable.
 </p>
 
-</body>
-</html>
 
-<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
-Local variables:
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-End:
--->
+
+   Jake
+   wants to get on the internet to do job searchs and resumes.  wanders between
+   being unemployed or underemployed.  He would also like to have his own
+   computer, not to have to wait in line at the library all the time.
+
+
+   Plaster
+   interested in reporting events via independent media, particularly video.
+   interested in the ideals of free software, but unable to spend many hours to
+   learn a new environment.  very competant with macintosh (some familiarity
+   with windows), but unable to find adequate image, audio or video editing
+   software for linux.  was running linux for a while, and was happy and even
+   excited at using something made by people rather than corporations.
+   eventually switched back to MacOS X when they needed to do "real" work.
+   trying to help set up community centers where shared computers can be set up
+   to do editing and publishing work, but needs help with actually getting the
+   computers networked.
+
+
+   Andrew
+   Lots of background with Windows, completed MSCE courses, and already
+   frustrated with Windows because of ongoing virus outbreaks.  heard about and
+   interested in "Learning Linux", but unsure exactly what that means.  Tried
+   installing "Linux 9" at home, but it failed to install on their old
+   computer.  Laid off recently, so has plenty of free time while looking for a
+   new job, but luckily getting paid unemployment and enjoying the "time off".
+
+   
+   Sergio Montanari is a volunteer for the Savena Neighborood Committee,
+   trying to fight for quality of life where he lives.  They work on issues
+   like collecting signatures against the installation of a new cluster of
+   cellphone bridge antennas, insuring funding for the local school,
+   monotoring pollution, keeping an eye on the behaviour of their elected
+   representatives.
+
+   Sergio is very passionate about making his neighborood a better place,
+   and even if he works full time at the building lines of Ducati Motors, he
+   manages to squeeze some hours or some evenings to bring the committee on.
+
+   Since most members of the Committee now have internet, they could use a
+   mailing list for group communication like dispatching announcements and
+   organizing actions.  Once they can get a bit more comfortable with
+   internet, they may look how to create some web pages about what they do
+   and see what else can be useful to make their Committee and their actions
+   work better.
+
+
+   Matilda works with young children; in her free time she works as a volunteer
+   in the local Fair Trade commerce shop.  They need to create and print some
+   posters to put on the shop and keep track of the shop storage.
+
+
+   Melissa as a volunteer is responsibile for technology and infrastructure for an
+   environmental activist organization.
+   She wants to change the world in different ways than anyone else does.
+   They have an office with ADSL internet connection.
+   She wants to be able to stay in touch with members of the organization, to
+   keep them involved so that they keep volunteering and participate to
+   fundraising.
+   She's a recent convert to the ideas of free software and wants to transition 
+   from her old Windows systems.  She installed RedHat in an extra computer at
+   home but failed.  She's a volunteer and can't commit more than 10 hours a
+   week for working into technology, and she's looking for some help in making
+   decisions.  She'd like to stay networked with other expert people doing
+   technology so that she doesn't have to do everything on her own.
+   She doesn't feel comfortable in her local LUG because of the male dominated
+   technology attitude that comes as baggage, and wants a comfortable and safe
+   environment in which to learn some skills.
+   
+   
+   Fig Leaf is a traveling protester which goes from timber site to timber site
+   to do tree sitting or chain themselves in front of bulldozers, continuously
+   crossing USA.  They need to go into any community center and access their
+   e-mail from everywhere.  They need a considerable amount of security because
+   they're planning potentially illegal direct action.  He also need to change
+   identity frequently.
+
+
+   Garden Dwarf Liberation Front need to coordinate themselves and so they use
+   common internet groupwork things like mailing list and website.  They're
+   particularly attentive to privacy issues.
+
+
+   Dave Schmeider is employed by a group of non-profits as a technology
+   consultant; he maintains a number of windows workstations and a handful of
+   Linux routers and windows servers.  He's interested in Free Software; has
+   attended an event sponsored by Tactical Tech and he's interested in
+   something that would allow him to do the kind of customization of his
+   installations and then adding applications and stuff.
+   He doesn't want to spend too much time in his work.  He doesn't want to
+   invest time into transition, and he especially doesn't like to have to
+   forget about what he knows and learn something new.  The main thing is
+   getting the work done and not spending much time in maintenance and other
+   crap.
+