To draw a profile of a typical user site

There are many techniques that allow us to define the contents of the site based on the type of users (and their objectives).
If in the previous lesson we have seen, generally, how to choose the topics and then provide specific advice for those who want to engage in further analysis to put the site online, in this lesson we will focus on ways to tackle the problem at an earlier stage in phase, ie, interface design and definition of its content.

One of these techniques, quite simple and even fun, was invented by Alan Cooper is to create a table of characters as they represent ideally the user segments to which we turn.
So imagine a use case focuses on the history, experience, perspective and the mental processes of our persona. Because, as often happens, it is easier to show than explain, see below an example of "pre-compiled" on which you can shape your experiments.

Assume that we work to redesign a site that produces frames. To define the modus opernadi draw the identikit of our main character that matches one of the primary targets dell''azienda.

Below we see how it develops the construction of our virtual actor.
The grid are in bold (you can reuse it as default in your work) and in italics its compilation, edited by me in this case.

• Name: Anthony (primary target)
• Age: 50
• Place of residence: Province of Lucca
• Occupation: bank employee
• Profile: married an English teacher for 25 years, have two daughters 20 and 17 years. Antonio lives in a house property which belonged to the in-laws: the house is great but would need some internal work to make it more modern and comfortable. Very attentive to save, thanks to his profession, became aware of the possibility of tax relief for people installing new fixtures to guarantee the energy savings.
• Internet use: since the eldest daughter went off to study, Antonio began to use computers and the Internet. First, however, Heather was doing all those little research on the web that could help his father and mother. Antonio uses a lot of work for the computer, but not surf the Internet.
• Practical goals: Anthony wants to convince his wife to change the fixtures in the house, and therefore, wants to show you how it would be convenient for their family to make this purchase.
• Personal Goals: He knows that for his wife the aesthetic quality of a window is very important, and would like to bring in a showroom, where her "hands on" fixtures. In addition, is very keen to be judged "competent" by his wife, and for that reason want to have information about technical performance of windows. Have you heard of the XY fixtures from a friend who works near the factory and believes that contact an on the territory can be a good starting point.
• Task: get information on the performance of outlets and fixtures.
• Existing scenario (before makeover): via the website, look for information on Antonio XY authorized dealers of the company, but can not find any reference. So look for technical information and appearance of windows, but found only general data. He would like to see the windows in the living contexts, perhaps being able to modify on-line colors, materials and systems for deployment, so that his wife also show the impact that the new fixtures would have in their house, but did not find anything that can satisfy. Discouraged, Antonio, left the site with the impression that he found nothing of what was expected.
• Future scenario (post-facelift): Antonio is connected to the site and is immediately followed by a link to know the dealers and agents by geographic area. Alternatively, it may decide to contact the company through an online form and / or phone number. Browsing, is very interesting tool to "design" through which it can combine, edit in real time and see all the options (colors, materials, systems of opening) of which the frames feature. It can also calculate the expected energy savings. Satisfied with some of the models, save the project created, intending to go to the nearest store to complete the purchase.

Clearly, this method is less sophisticated than those of field research, but much cheaper and produces, however, very interesting data on which it is worth considering.

The comments made in this lesson are very concerned for anyone involved in web design, and for those who - like us - takes care of the content. Know the user "type" and their "goals" will help us achieve satisfactory content for our readers.

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