Digital.gov Guide

Capturing user needs to inform your design

Methods for learning more about your users so their needs can inform your designs.
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Explore how your users think about your design space

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    Method: Mental models

    What

    A mental model is a method for understanding how users think about a topic and how their perceptions impact their behavior.

    Why

    Mental models help you consider how user beliefs might impact design choices and anticipate how design decisions might facilitate future behaviors. Mental models help people quickly understand complex topics.

    How to do it

    1. Create one three-columned table per persona. Label the columns "Past," "Present," and and "Future."
    2. In the middle column for the Present, list current user behaviors and users’ expectations about how something works.
    3. In the left-hand column for the Past, list the products, services, features, and interfaces that the user encountered when performing the actions listed in the Present column.
    4. In the right-hand column for the Future, list possible future products, services, features, and interface elements that might change the user’s behaviors and pain points in the Present column.

    Time required

    5 to 6 hours

    Journeys