Usage Scenarios
Billy
Regarding improving the user interface, it will be cool to get some
usage scenarios in.
At the moment I'm imaging there are 3 main types of users that MIGHT
want to use something like tramhunter: Commuters, who has usual set
times to get from A to B; Trip planners, one time usage, knowing start
point and end point but want to find out how to get there; and
Explorers, someone that just wants to ride the tram to explore an
area. There may well be more but that's not important right now. As
it's early days yet we'll just focus on the biggest user group of this
app, which are commuters (well, at least I assume it is).
I would like to get some real usage scenarios from this list, at least
from the guys that are currently taking the tram alot.
So, you're a commuter.
What I want you to do is to describe, in as objective terms as you
can, possible situations and goals in which you wanted to achieve in
those situations, written in the following way:
In order for me to achieve [goal],
as a [role / persona / objective situation],
I want to [needs].
For example:
In order for me to [get to the tram stop on time],
as [someone that lives a certain distance from the tram stop],
I want to [be alerted a certain amount of time before a tram arrives].
or (from a request before)
In order for me to [take the earliest tram],
as [someone that lives between two tram stops],
I want to [know which tram from which stop come sooner].
Something like that. Try to write in a way that's objective and
relates to specific situations or personas, as oppose to personal
wants; describe the underlying situation/problem, and describe the
ideal outcome, but don't worry about the solution (the actual UI),
we'll worry about the actual UI later.
Get non-technical people to think about this as well, we tech people
tend to be too resourceful that we often take for granted fundamental
needs that average users have. So, ask other non-technical tram users
in your family if they can come up with anything, nothing is
insignificant. Even something as mundane as:
In order for me to [know when the tram's coming],
as [someone that's standing in the tram stop],
I want to [you know, see when the tram's coming, dammit].
.. may be useful.
If you don't want to post them here you can email them directly to me,
billy....@gmail.com or food....@gmail.com <-- yes, serious.
Keeping them public can often spur ideas in others that you hadn't
thought about, so, that's encouraged.
(obviously not everything will make it into the project, but don't be
shy :) we need lots of solid fundamental usages to build something
good )
Also, what seems like conflicting goals or needs is fine, we'll
discuss and digest them.
ozgreg
I have two different use cases..
Firstly primary
A) Arrive by train -> Flinders St -> Tram -> St Kilda Road -> Work
B) Work -> St Kilda Road -> Flinders St -> Train
C) Out Drinking :-) -> nearest stop -> Tram -> Home
A) in the morning usually is I do not care, grab first tram I can get my
ass on which sometimes is hard and tram tracker usually is for how many
trams are coming
B) Again the same, what tram types are coming so I can get my ass back
on a tram..
C) SPECIFIC tram number, do I have enough time to stagger out to tram
track and get my ass home..
I would say C) would be more typical, people looking for a specific tram
coming at the nearest stop so they can judge how much time they have..
The issue is I use Tram Hunter for either any incoming tram or a
specific tram, so
A) Ability to "favourite" tram numbers and filter results
B) Quickly clear favourite and display all..
Right now Andy uses a Star for favourite stops which I think uses well,
for me the next step is to star favourite tram numbers and filter results..
I see some very clever filtering using the drag up and drag down aspects
of the screen... Maybe filter by default but drag up list to clear filter..
Anyway these are my uses..