How to Use this Book

• Who Should Read this Book?
• What's in the Book?
• What comes with the Book?
• Here's How You Can Use Mental Models

Frequently Asked Questions

Foreword

CHAPTER 1: What and Why? The Advantages of a Mental Model

• What is a Mental Model?
• Why Use Mental Models?
• Confidence in Your Design
• Clarity in Direction
• Continuity of Strategy

CHAPTER 2: When? Using Mental Models with Your Other Work

• Determine Your Research Method
• How Mental Models Hook into Other UX Techniques
• Shortcuts and Other Ways to Use Mental Models

CHAPTER 3: Who? Mental Model Team Participants

• Project Leader
• Project Practitioners
• Project Guides
• Project Support

CHAPTER 4: Define Task-Based Audience Segments

• Task-Based Audience Segments
• Set Research Scope

CHAPTER 5: Specify Recruiting Details

• Estimate the Tally
• Write the Screener
• Coordinate Schedules
• Recruit Participants

CHAPTER 6: Set Scope for the Interviews

• Set Research Goals
• List Interview Prompts

CHAPTER 7: Interview Participants

• Chat by Telephone or Face-to-Face
• Do Not Lead
• Plan Your International Interviews

CHAPTER 8: Analyze the Transcripts

• Comb for Tasks
• Get Some Practice
• Answers

CHAPTER 9: Look for Patterns

• Group Tasks into Patterns
• Plan Your Logistics
• Congratulate Yourself

CHAPTER 10: Create the Mental Model

• Build the Model Automatically
• Build the Model Block-by-Block
• Review the Diagram with Project Guides
• What Did You Learn?
• Decorate the Diagram
• Ask for Feedback

CHAPTER 11: Adjust the Audience Segments

• Compare Results to Original Hypothesis
• Clarify Segment Names
• Adjust Segment Definitions
• Use Audience Segments for Other Projects
• Transition from Research to Design, Verbs to Nouns

CHAPTER 12: Alignment and Gap Analysis

• Draw a Content Map of Your Proposed Solution
• Align the Content Under the Mental Model
• Consider the Opportunities
• Share the Findings
• Print the Diagram
• Prioritize the Opportunities

CHAPTER 13: Structure Derivation

• Derive High-Level Architecture
• Provide Vocabulary for Labels
• Test Your Structure and Labels
• Generate Features and Functionality

Index

Acknowledgments

About the Author