Slides from my Confab 2014 workshop: Mental Modeling For Content Work.
Anyone working in content strategy knows that dealing with messy web content is a difficult task. Creating effective, engaging content that’s relevant to potential users and customers while supporting a good information architecture is even more difficult.
Take some of the guesswork out of content by investing more time in the upfront planning and inquiry, getting to the bottom of who your users really are. Spend a day with Daniel Eizans and learn how to conduct contextual inquiry, develop more relevant personas, and mental model your way to a better content strategy.
Daniel will bring real, field-tested examples of personas and mental models that have impacted organizational content strategy and take attendees through a series of hands-on exercises that will immediately add value to content planning and production.
You will:
Learn about the fundamentals of contextual inquiry and how to conduct this type of research when creating personas
Understand how to create more effective personas for content creators and content planners
Plan content with others using a modified mental modeling technique driven by inquiry and persona data
Receive tools and templates for bringing this technique to your clients or organization.
"Boost Your Digital Presence: Partner with a Leading SEO Agency"
Mental Modeling For Content Work: Contextual Inquiry, Personas and Planning
1. Mental Modeling For Content Work
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY, PERSONAS AND PLANNING
DANIEL EIZANS | CONFAB CENTRAL
5.7.14
2. HI! I’m daniel Eizans. I’m an Information Architect
!
ABOUT ME: I’ve been a journalist, student of
neuroscience, a marketer and a strategist at two
of the world’s largest advertising agencies.
Now, I’m a senior information architect at The
Understanding Group (TUG)
!
CLIENT WORK: Automotive (Ford, Chevrolet),
Government (EPA, CDC, FAFSA) Non-Profits
(National Safety Council), Healthcare (Kaiser
Permanente, McClaren Health, MetroHealth)
and Consumer Products (Olympic)
!
TWITTER: @danieleizans
2
3. What we’ll cover today
Part 2: Affinity Diagrams
1. Overview: Affinity Diagrams
2. Exercise: Group Affinity Diagrams
3. Review and Q/A
Part 1: Contextual Inquiry
1. Overview: Contextual Inquiry
2. Exercise: Performing Inquiry
3. Exercise: Interview Interpretation
Part 3: Developing Personas
1. Overview: Developing Personas
2. Group Work: Review Personas
3. Exercise: Cognitive Diagram
Part 4: Mental Modeling
1. Overview: The Process
2. Exercise: Mental Modeling
3. Review and Q/A
3
5. Contextual inquiry: What it is
Contextual inquiry is a structured form of
interviewing that allows the research team to:
• Gather interview data
• Understand ethnographic insights
• Capture physical behaviors and work
patterns
!
The data gathered helps inform everything
from personas, to product design, to workflow/
workplace modification, to content strategy.
5
6. Contextual inquiry: What it is
User Interview
(Influenced by Designer/Strategist)
Contextual Inquiry
(Influenced by designer, user and strategist)
Observation
(Influenced by end user)
6
7. Conducting Interviews: needs
Keys to a successful interview are:
• An interviewer for formal questioning
• An observer for recording physical
behaviors, workflow models and note taking
• Trust between interviewer and subject
!
The interview is about building a relationship.
Even if we feel like we have the right answers,
our effort should focus on developing a shared
interpretation of an activity or work.
7
8. Conducting interviews: goals
Key outputs of contextual inquiry should be:
• Watching and probing to observe users as they
work and inquire to understand motivations and
strategies
• Learn from the user perspective, even you feel like
you know the “answers”
• Look for gaps in what a user is leaving out and ask
questions to fill them
• Gather both concrete and abstract data to have
them focus on actual artifacts and actions
8
9. The interviewer role
In traditional user interviews, the interviewer asks users a
series of questions that relate to the business objectives or
research goals. In contextual inquiry, interviewers must:
• Be a facilitator of conversation AND of behavior
• Make the participant feel like an expert, in whatever
they’re doing
• Ensure that the interview environment is contextually
relevant to the research or tasks to be addressed
• Ensure the participant articulates the processes and
methods for work as he/she is doing it
9
Photo: Columbia Pictures
10. The observer role
The observers role in contextual inquiry is to do just
that… observe. The goal of having an observer on hand is
to
• Document physical behaviors
• Understand how the environment (context) affects the
participants ability to complete a task or perform work
• Note patterns that emerge from one interview to the
next
• Take photographs or video
10
Photo Mike Freedman: https://flic.kr/p/hvZwgb
11. The Participant role
Participants in contextual inquiry research are equally as
responsible for the outcome as the interviewer and
observers. Participants are responsible for:
• Doing and answering
• Showing the observer and interviewer complete tasks
• Avoiding assuming that the interviewers will
understand “why” something is being done
• Talk to the researchers level of understanding (avoid
jargon)
11
Photo - DG EMPL: https://flic.kr/p/7yh1oF
12. Conducting the inquiry
The most important thing to remember when doing
contextual inquiry is to avoid things like conference
rooms, Skype or usability centers. Participants must be
in their own environment (home, office, workspace, etc.)
• I typically send out an email to participants to outline
goals, rules of engagement and profess my ignorance
• On arrival, note ambient factors (lighting,
temperature, time of day, layouts of things,
observable culture, artifacts present, etc.)
• Begin the session with a short questionnaire
12
Photo - Mark Hunter: https://flic.kr/p/aZdRXi
13. Conducting the inquiry - continued
• After your short questionnaire, note that you’ll be
doing something completely different and set them to
work
• Ask questions that arise during the completion of task,
keep the interview free flowing and adjust as needed
• Ask specific questions relating to their thought
process, task, and ensure that they feel like their the
expert
• Work up to an hour, be ready to move locations if
necessary (e.g. workstation change or an
environmental stimuli requirement)
13
Photo - Jeff Swaim: https://flic.kr/p/e5fATs
14. Conducting the inquiry - continued
• Document, document, document
• Photograph, photograph, photograph
• Ask, ask, ask
• Ask again
• Spend two hours on analysis for every
one hour of inquiry
14
Photo - Marco Arment: https://flic.kr/p/411AnZ
15. Preparing for interpretation
During your interview be sure to:
• Avoid lots of open ended questions that provide
less chance for interpretation
• Strike a balance between probing for what you
sense as a pattern and allowing the participant to
work freely
• Cycle between observing, probing and interpreting
• Be flexible but be consistent in the type of person
you are so that trust will develop
15
Photo - Hans Splinter: https://flic.kr/p/5tWKPt
21. FACT
HYPOTHESIS
IMPLICATION
IDEA
Most interactive projects jump from fact to idea
immediately, missing work that should happen
between research and ideation.
The interpretation sessions are crucial in the
content strategy process for persona
development and content planning
!
!
Interpretation: Moving beyond facts
21
22. Interpretation sessions
Team interpretation sessions bring a cross-functional
team together to hear the whole story of an interview and
capture the insights and learning relevant to the problem.
These sessions should:
• Be conducted within 48 hours of the interviews
• Be moderated by an interviewer who discusses each
interview for the benefit of the team
• Assign roles: Moderator (interviewer), work modeler,
recorder, task master
22
23. Goals of the interpretation sessions
Since the sessions are cross functional and
collaborative, they’re particularly valuable for transfer
of the knowledge that the interviewers and observers
learned in the actual interviews.
Teams should:
• Listen and participate in conversation
• Ask questions
• Draw work models
• Record issues, interpretations and ideas based on
the interviews
24. Models for observing work/tasks
There are a variety of ways that observers can use
to model work and tasks, depending on the goal of
the research. These include:
• Flow Models
• Sequence Models
• Artifact Models
• Cultural Models
• Physical Models
24
25. Observation Modeling: Flow
FLOW MODELS:
• Show “actors” and their interactions during
a process (e.g. A receptionist greeting a
visitor upon entry to a hospital lobby)
• Maps all the events that take place during
work, process or task
• Are NOT responsible for showing the
sequence of events during a work process
25
Attempts To Save
Configurtion
KARYN
Visits Rebel's website
and researches several
vehicles
Schedules Appointment
With Ambassador
Configuration Cannot
Be Saved
26. Observation Modeling: Sequence
SEQUENCE MODELS:
• Document the steps taken to perform
a task or work
• Build from data captured in a flow
model or are produced exclusively
• Can include multiple actors if
necessary
26
Intent: Configure A
Vehicle
Trigger: Reads reviews and clicks ad on sidebar
Starts to build a small SUV using online tool
Attempts to Save Configuration
Share button appeared to have
a save option that confused
user
27. Observation Modeling: Artifact
ARTIFACT MODELS:
• Provide a view of all artifacts, tools (e.g. mobile
phone, tablet, reminder note etc.) used in the
work process
• Are typically forms of information, screenshots
of how people use digital information
• Are crucial for placemaking, in that they
provide understanding where the digital and
physical worlds should intersect
27
28. Collector
Visitor Book
Cultural Model
Ok, I will explain it to you [#39]
Please explain so that I understand [#39]The page from 1493?[#55]
Based on avor [#34]
Book distracts by som
ething
else interesting
[#71]
Campaign buttons / current history [#60]
Historic interests (1886) [#9] [#59] [#65]
Flavor of reading: Eg Harry Potter [#33]
Does not borrow/loan or give away [#39]
Prefers hard copy books [#43]
Try to preserve connection [#105]
Likes to keep the collection alive [#133]
Recreate the old German library [#140]
Collector really likes old books [#158]
Usually goes to book store to have a lot of fun [#160]
Collects irony [#58]
Likes to reminisce [#77]
How
to preserve old books? [#48]
M
akes it m
ore real, easy to im
agine [#63]
Important to build context [#43]
Plastic Jacket
No physical use of book
Another
Collecter
Book store
owner
It m
akes collector to
collect by size
[#139]
Visiting to take a look and
nd a book [#2
1]
Collector doesn’t keep notes [#127]
Informsaboutnewerversions/
opinionsaboutabook[#195]
Owner’sbookbuyingpreference[#162]
Som
etim
escollectoraddsvaluebycom
pleting
sets[#150]
Book’squality,age,andpriceareimportant[#189]
Allbooksmustbekeptsafe
Price matters more than quality
Observation Modeling: Cultural
CULTURAL MODELS
• Document how environments and other actors
in a given place influence the work being done
• Are impacted by things like:
• Socioeconomic status of the user
• Open office vs. traditional offices
• Vary significantly depending on participant
background
28
29. Observation Modeling: physical
PHYSICAL MODELS
• Show the work environment in which work or
tasks occur
• Highlight the physical structures, layouts
and materials that take part in task
completion
• Will vary greatly from participant to
participant and with ambient factors like
time.
29
34. Consolidation of the work
When combined with a consolidation of work models,
affinity diagrams produce a reliable picture of who
and what a design or content program should address.
• The affinity diagram brings together issues and
insights across all participants into a wall-sized,
hierarchical diagram to reveal the scope of the
problem and opportunities
• Consolidated work models bring together each
different model separately, to reveal common
strategies and intents while retaining and
organizing the individual differences
34
35. THE affinity diagram process
Materials needed: Sticky notes or cards,
marking pens and a large work surface
(table, wall or even the floor)
Procedure:
1. Record each idea or pattern with a
marking pen on a separate sticky note or
card. Randomly spread the notes on the
work surface so everyone involved can
see. The entire team organizes.
35
Photo - Alex: https://flic.kr/p/8BsiCV
36. The affinity diagram process (continued)
2. With minimal or no talking, identify
relationships and group notes
accordingly. You can move something
someone has moved. If something
belongs in two groups make another note.
3. Discuss the patterns as a group. Why did
things move or not move. Create
categories or headings for each group.
Identify notes that capture the “meaning”
of the groups.
36
Photo - Sean Munson: https://flic.kr/p/uEJQr
37. the Affinity diagram process (continued)
4. Combine groups of notes into larger
categories or supergroups if it’s
appropriate.
5. Map interview data to the affinity
diagrams if you can. Establish
patterns among similar participants
and begin to note where personas are
emerging in relation to your project
goals.
37
Photo - Sean Munson: https://flic.kr/p/uEJZB
41. Meet REBEL motor coMpany
Rebel Motor Company is an emerging American automotive
manufacture hoping to “change the way people buy cars.” The
company is dedicated to selling as many cars online as
possible, committing a minimal footprint to dealer networks.
Rebel, is dedicated to selling smart, environmentally friendly
vehicles that serve a variety of driver needs. The main focus of
their website has been on vehicle customization and a smooth
online ordering process. After spending time with their users
and shoppers, Rebel’s team is hoping to expand its content
offering to better meet the needs, behaviors and pain points
of potential buyers. They need personas, they need a content
strategy.
They need YOUR help.
Photo: Adrien Séné - https://flic.kr/p/5WcY3r
41
42. RMC’s Goals
Rebel Motor Company wants to use contextual inquiry,
personas and planning to modify its content strategy and
information architecture to better serve customers. Their
primary goals in this initiative are:
1. To increase online-only sales by 20 percent
2. Improve the usability of the online build tool
3. Increase requests for test drives among conquests
4. Increase requests for online and in-person consultations
5. Improve peer-to-peer communication among Rebel
owners
42
Photo: Audi PR
43. Research plan
Based on Rebel’s desired outcomes, our research goals should be
to:
1. Identify gaps or breakdowns in the online ordering and process
2. Understand pain points, frustrations, barriers and successes of
the build tool
3. Understand user desires and expectations for scheduling
online, as well as the workflow of ambassador and dealers in
the real world
4. Identify patterns and triggers for consultation requests
5. Identify social behaviors, sharing tendencies and triggers in
current RMC owners.
43
44. The plan: Contextual inquiry + Personas
After reviewing Rebel’s goals and approving a research
direction, we have established a plan to perform
contextual inquiry with a series of owners, RCM intenders
(in-market shoppers) and experienced shoppers of
durable goods.
We will schedule up to 20 one hour interviews followed by
40 hours of analysis to establish segments for persona
planning.
Outputs of research will be:
• Affinity diagrams
• Personas
• A mental model for informing content strategy
44
47. Why Franken-People?
Personas are made up of real pieces of user research, composited together to form an amalgamated “person” who
represents a broader target.
47
Photo: Universal Pictures
48. Personas: Research approach
48
1
2
3
7Carlos
Matt
Brad
Austin
Nate
Tim
User Interviews
CONSIDERERS ONLINE CONQUESTS
Robert
8
9
10 Jennifer*15
12 Eric
Blake*
Marcy*
13
14
* PURCHASED ITEM $10,000+ ITEM ONLINE
Gary11
4
5
6
OWNERS
Aaron
Julia
Lynn
3
1
2
Personas
CONSIDERER
Cindy
Marco
Michael
ONLINE CONQUESTS
5 Kristopher
OWNER
4 Shannon
49. Personas: Research approach
Extracted patterns allow us to map personas to the people we interview and observe. We then plot them against the
business objectives and segment them appropriately
DIGITAL
STOREFRONT
BRICK &
MORTAR
COMMUNITY FOCUSED
COMMUNITY INDIFFERENT
2 Marco
3MICHAEL
1CINDY
5 KRISTOPHER
4SHANNON
1
2
3
7
Carlos
Matt
Brad
Austin
Nate
Tim
Robert
8
9
10
Jennifer*15
12
Eric
Blake*
Marcy*
13
14
Gary
11
4
5
6
Aaron
Julia
Lynn
49
50. Personas: Segmentation
50
Cindy: Competitive Owner/Considerer
Marco: First Time Buyer/Considerer
Shannon: Hard Sell/Conquest
Overcome fear
"I want to avoid the dealership but I'm
nervous about making a purchase this
large online."
Customizing for my family
"I need an environmentally friendly
vehicle that allows us to do the hobbies
that are important to us. "
Finding people like me
"My co-worker has had a great
experience with Rebel Motor
Company, but I want to be sure that
other's like me are equally happy."
Sense of pride
"I like talking with other people who
have the same type of vehicle as me. I
want to be involved with RMC's
community of ambassadors."
Compare vehicles/manufacturers
"I want something that is going to last.
I like the design and green touches
that RMC offers but I want something
that's proven."
Buy with confidence
I've had lots of hand me downs and
I'm ready to buy my first car. I want to
be sure I'm getting a good deal and
get something that feels like me."
Michael: Online Buyer/Conquest
Flexible times and appointments
"I'm a busy guy. I want a company
that can accommodate my schedule
during the purchase AND service
process
Bottom line
"I don't like hidden fees, and loathe
dealers. I want to know what I'm going
to pay out the door."
Win my business
"I'm a long time Chevy driver. I'm
unhappy about a slew of recalls on my
last vehicle. Why should I chose
Rebel?"
Post Sale Attention
"My Lexus dealer always knows my
name when I arrive and understands
what I expect from them. I want that
experience with my next car."
Style focused
I really like the styling of Rebel Motor
Company, what are my other options
as far as customization goes?"
Overcome fear
"I like RMC vehicles but there are so
few dealers. Who will service my car if
I have a problem?"
Kristopher: RMC Vehicle Owner
Sharing my story
"I want to share my experience with
key contacts and prospective Rebel
buyers. I also would consider being an
ambassador and helping spread the
word about RMC.
Keep me informed
"I always want to know what's coming
for my SUV. It's important to me to
connect with others and know what
the company is up to.
Reaffirm purchase
"I love being involved in the Rebel
community. It means a lot that they
invited me to events, and touched
base with me after I bought my car."
52. Rebel motor Company’s personas: MARCO
52
Marco: First Time Buyer/Considerer
Sense of pride
"I like talking with other people who
have the same type of vehicle as me. I
want to be involved with RMC's
community of ambassadors."
Compare vehicles/manufacturers
"I want something that is going to last.
I like the design and green touches
that RMC offers but I want something
that's proven."
Buy with confidence
I've had lots of hand me downs and
I'm ready to buy my first car. I want to
be sure I'm getting a good deal and
get something that feels like me."
53. Rebel motor Company’s personas: Michael
53
Michael: Online Buyer/Conquest
Flexible times and appointments
"I'm a busy guy. I want a company
that can accommodate my schedule
during the purchase AND service
process
Bottom line
"I don't like hidden fees, and loathe
dealers. I want to know what I'm going
to pay out the door."
Win my business
"I'm a long time Chevy driver. I'm
unhappy about a slew of recalls on my
last vehicle. Why should I chose
Rebel?"
54. Rebel motor Company’s personas: Shannon
54
Shannon: Hard Sell/Conquest
Post Sale Attention
"My Lexus dealer always knows my
name when I arrive and understands
what I expect from them. I want that
experience with my next car."
Style focused
I really like the styling of Rebel Motor
Company, what are my other options
as far as customization goes?"
Overcome fear
"I like RMC vehicles but there are so
few dealers. Who will service my car if
I have a problem?"
55. Rebel motor Company’s personas: KRISTOPHER
55
Kristopher: RMC Vehicle Owner
Sharing my story
"I want to share my experience with
key contacts and prospective Rebel
buyers. I also would consider being an
ambassador and helping spread the
word about RMC.
Keep me informed
"I always want to know what's coming
for my SUV. It's important to me to
connect with others and know what
the company is up to.
Reaffirm purchase
"I love being involved in the Rebel
community. It means a lot that they
invited me to events, and touched
base with me after I bought my car."
56. Rebel motor Company’s personas: Cindy
56
Cindy: Competitive Owner/Considerer
Overcome fear
"I want to avoid the dealership but I'm
nervous about making a purchase this
large online."
Customizing for my family
"I need an environmentally friendly
vehicle that allows us to do the hobbies
that are important to us. "
Finding people like me
"My co-worker has had a great
experience with Rebel Motor
Company, but I want to be sure that
other's like me are equally happy."
57. Cindy has a heightened awareness and care for the world around
her. She has taken steps to ensure that her family is able to recycle
as much as possible. She uses re-usable shopping bags and their
family uses a single, energy efficient vehicle (a Toyota Prius). Cindy
wants another energy efficient vehicle but one that offers more
space for her family, pets and hobbies. She is very open to
potentially purchasing a vehicle online.
She spends a lot of time in her kayak and considers herself to be a
conservationist. In her spare time she likes up cycling, hiking and
being with family.
Cindy is a current Hybrid owner that is dissatisfied with the utility of
the vehicle. She and her husband want desperately to find an
environmentally friendly vehicle that will meet the needs of her
growing family and their "outdoorsy" activities.
Cindy has made major purchases online in the past and her
husband purchased a motorcycle sight unseen from eBay Motors
last year. One of her co-workers used the online concierge service
from Rebel and has raved about it.
She has started browsing on the Rebel Motor Company website and
has been customizing a mid-size environmentally-friendly small SUV
and uses their mobile site to share her inspiration with her husband.
Cindy and her husband have decided to use the online tools and
have chatted with ambassadors on Rebel's website. They ask a local
dealer to visit them at their home to compare a small Hybrid SUV
with their Prius.
“I'm always looking for an
opportunity to lessen my
impact on the environment. I
want a car that meets my
family's needs and aligns with
my values”
Age: 40
Location: San Diego, CA
Work Life: Marketing Director at Whole
Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has
two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan
(12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k
Household
Relationship with RMC:
Unhappy with her current vehicle, Cindy has
taken it upon herself to gather information from
her friends, family and co-workers to learn
more about the vehicles in RMC's lineup. She
has been impressed by the feedback and has
spent time configuring several vehicles on the
RMC website. She likes the company's small
carbon footprint and cavalier business model.
Cindy's Digital Life:
Cindy considers herself pretty adept at
technology and uses a wide range of different
devices at work and at home. She keeps a
strong separation of her technology between
work and home and has a different computer
and cell phone that she uses for each.
Daily Technological Diet:
▪ IBM Thinkpad
Used for communicating marketing plans,
sending emails and working at her daily
job.
▪ iPhone
Work issued and used for email, texting
and phone application
▪ Macintosh Laptops
Both she and her husband, have
MacBook Airs for personal use.
▪ Samsung Android Smartphone
Personal Android phone, used for text
messaging, email, social networking
▪ iPad
Both personal and business use.
Preferred when traveling, used for
reading, email, browsing and research
About Cindy
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use
57
58. “I'm always looking for an
opportunity to lessen my
impact on the environment. I
want a car that meets my
family's needs and aligns with
my values”
Age: 40
Location: San Diego, CA
Work Life: Marketing Director at Whole
Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has
two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan
(12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k
Household
58
59. “I'm always looking for an
opportunity to lessen my
impact on the environment. I
want a car that meets my
family's needs and aligns with
my values”
Age: 40
Location: San Diego, CA
Work Life: Marketing Director at Whole
Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has
two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan
(12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k
Household
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use
59
60. “I'm always looking for an
opportunity to lessen my
impact on the environment. I
want a car that meets my
family's needs and aligns with
my values”
Age: 40
Location: San Diego, CA
Work Life: Marketing Director at Whole
Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has
two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan
(12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k
Household
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use
Cindy has a heightened awareness and care for the world around
her. She has taken steps to ensure that her family is able to recycle
as much as possible. She uses re-usable shopping bags and their
family uses a single, energy efficient vehicle (a Toyota Prius). Cindy
wants another energy efficient vehicle but one that offers more
space for her family, pets and hobbies. She is very open to
potentially purchasing a vehicle online.
She spends a lot of time in her kayak and considers herself to be a
conservationist. In her spare time she likes up cycling, hiking and
being with family.
Cindy is a current Hybrid owner that is dissatisfied with the utility of
the vehicle. She and her husband want desperately to find an
environmentally friendly vehicle that will meet the needs of her
growing family and their "outdoorsy" activities.
Cindy has made major purchases online in the past and her
husband purchased a motorcycle sight unseen from eBay Motors
last year. One of her co-workers used the online concierge service
from Rebel and has raved about it.
She has started browsing on the Rebel Motor Company website and
has been customizing a mid-size environmentally-friendly small SUV
and uses their mobile site to share her inspiration with her husband.
Cindy and her husband have decided to use the online tools and
have chatted with ambassadors on Rebel's website. They ask a local
dealer to visit them at their home to compare a small Hybrid SUV
with their Prius.
About Cindy
60
61. Cindy has a heightened awareness and care for the world around
her. She has taken steps to ensure that her family is able to recycle
as much as possible. She uses re-usable shopping bags and their
family uses a single, energy efficient vehicle (a Toyota Prius). Cindy
wants another energy efficient vehicle but one that offers more
space for her family, pets and hobbies. She is very open to
potentially purchasing a vehicle online.
She spends a lot of time in her kayak and considers herself to be a
conservationist. In her spare time she likes up cycling, hiking and
being with family.
Cindy is a current Hybrid owner that is dissatisfied with the utility of
the vehicle. She and her husband want desperately to find an
environmentally friendly vehicle that will meet the needs of her
growing family and their "outdoorsy" activities.
Cindy has made major purchases online in the past and her
husband purchased a motorcycle sight unseen from eBay Motors
last year. One of her co-workers used the online concierge service
from Rebel and has raved about it.
She has started browsing on the Rebel Motor Company website and
has been customizing a mid-size environmentally-friendly small SUV
and uses their mobile site to share her inspiration with her husband.
Cindy and her husband have decided to use the online tools and
have chatted with ambassadors on Rebel's website. They ask a local
dealer to visit them at their home to compare a small Hybrid SUV
with their Prius.
“I'm always looking for an
opportunity to lessen my
impact on the environment. I
want a car that meets my
family's needs and aligns with
my values”
Age: 40
Location: San Diego, CA
Work Life: Marketing Director at Whole
Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has
two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan
(12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k
Household
Relationship with RMC:
Unhappy with her current vehicle, Cindy has
taken it upon herself to gather information from
her friends, family and co-workers to learn
more about the vehicles in RMC's lineup. She
has been impressed by the feedback and has
spent time configuring several vehicles on the
RMC website. She likes the company's small
carbon footprint and cavalier business model.
Cindy's Digital Life:
Cindy considers herself pretty adept at
technology and uses a wide range of different
devices at work and at home. She keeps a
strong separation of her technology between
work and home and has a different computer
and cell phone that she uses for each.
Daily Technological Diet:
▪ IBM Thinkpad
Used for communicating marketing plans,
sending emails and working at her daily
job.
▪ iPhone
Work issued and used for email, texting
and phone application
▪ Macintosh Laptops
Both she and her husband, have
MacBook Airs for personal use.
▪ Samsung Android Smartphone
Personal Android phone, used for text
messaging, email, social networking
▪ iPad
Both personal and business use.
Preferred when traveling, used for
reading, email, browsing and research
About Cindy
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use
61
62. Process / Workflow Social / Relational Content / Research Finding People / Locations
Find A Person Like Me
On the
Web
On the
Rebel Motors Site
Visits competitive sites
Reads online reviews Reads Industry Article Looks into forums
Looks for sponsors from bloggers she follows
Reads lifestyle content
Seeks Out Current Owners For Chat
Performs Web Searches
Customize for my family
On the
Web
On the
Rebel Motors Site
Investigates Dealer Locations
Wishes She Could Ask Directly
Uses Car Configuration Tool
Reviews Dealer Info
Overcome fear
On the
Web
On the
Rebel Motors Site
Visits Industry Financing Pages
Uses Site Search
Schedules to talk with an Ambassador and Dealer
Looks for Knowledge Base
Finds introductory ownerships information Unable to Find What She Needs
Polls friends on Facebook and Pinterest
Watches Online Videos
Chats with Concierge
Cannot Find Content She Needs
Wants more detailed info
Reads Owner Documents
Reads Reviews of Online Ordering
Strongly Considering Online Buy
Shares Configuration with Sister and Husband
Schedules Online Consultation Schedules in person meeting with Ambassador
62
63. Cindy has a heightened awareness and care for the world around
her. She has taken steps to ensure that her family is able to recycle
as much as possible. She uses re-usable shopping bags and their
family uses a single, energy efficient vehicle (a Toyota Prius). Cindy
wants another energy efficient vehicle but one that offers more
space for her family, pets and hobbies. She is very open to
potentially purchasing a vehicle online.
She spends a lot of time in her kayak and considers herself to be a
conservationist. In her spare time she likes up cycling, hiking and
being with family.
Cindy is a current Hybrid owner that is dissatisfied with the utility of
the vehicle. She and her husband want desperately to find an
environmentally friendly vehicle that will meet the needs of her
growing family and their "outdoorsy" activities.
Cindy has made major purchases online in the past and her
husband purchased a motorcycle sight unseen from eBay Motors
last year. One of her co-workers used the online concierge service
from Rebel and has raved about it.
She has started browsing on the Rebel Motor Company website and
has been customizing a mid-size environmentally-friendly small SUV
and uses their mobile site to share her inspiration with her husband.
Cindy and her husband have decided to use the online tools and
have chatted with ambassadors on Rebel's website. They ask a local
dealer to visit them at their home to compare a small Hybrid SUV
with their Prius.
“I'm always looking for an
opportunity to lessen my
impact on the environment. I
want a car that meets my
family's needs and aligns with
my values”
Age: 40
Location: San Diego, CA
Work Life: Marketing Director at Whole
Foods.
Home Life: Married to David and has
two children, Josiah (14) and Nathan
(12).
Personal Income: $350k / $550k
Household
Relationship with RMC:
Unhappy with her current vehicle, Cindy has
taken it upon herself to gather information from
her friends, family and co-workers to learn
more about the vehicles in RMC's lineup. She
has been impressed by the feedback and has
spent time configuring several vehicles on the
RMC website. She likes the company's small
carbon footprint and cavalier business model.
Cindy's Digital Life:
Cindy considers herself pretty adept at
technology and uses a wide range of different
devices at work and at home. She keeps a
strong separation of her technology between
work and home and has a different computer
and cell phone that she uses for each.
Daily Technological Diet:
▪ IBM Thinkpad
Used for communicating marketing plans,
sending emails and working at her daily
job.
▪ iPhone
Work issued and used for email, texting
and phone application
▪ Macintosh Laptops
Both she and her husband, have
MacBook Airs for personal use.
▪ Samsung Android Smartphone
Personal Android phone, used for text
messaging, email, social networking
▪ iPad
Both personal and business use.
Preferred when traveling, used for
reading, email, browsing and research
About Cindy
Process / Workflow Social / Relational Content / Research Finding People / Locations
Find A Person Like Me
On the
Web
On the
Rebel Motors Site
Visits competitive sites
Reads online reviews Reads Industry Article Looks into forums
Looks for sponsors from bloggers she follows
Reads lifestyle content
Seeks Out Current Owners For Chat
Performs Web Searches
Customize for my family
On the
Web
On the
Rebel Motors Site
Investigates Dealer Locations
Wishes She Could Ask Directly
Uses Car Configuration Tool
Reviews Dealer Info
Overcome fear
On the
Web
On the
Rebel Motors Site
Visits Industry Financing Pages
Uses Site Search
Schedules to talk with an Ambassador and Dealer
Looks for Knowledge Base
Finds introductory ownerships information Unable to Find What She Needs
Cindy's Scenarios
Consideration Prob.
Brand Aware
Mobile Use
Polls friends on Facebook and Pinterest
Watches Online Videos
Chats with Concierge
Cannot Find Content She Needs
Wants more detailed info
Reads Owner Documents
Reads Reviews of Online Ordering
Strongly Considering Online Buy
Shares Configuration with Sister and Husband
Schedules Online Consultation Schedules in person meeting with Ambassador
Cindy Key Scenarios
Finding A Person Like Me
Cindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?
Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she
sees on RMC's site is relevant for
her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation
before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external
resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from
the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsRobin's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will
suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling
with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are
their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle
impact my daily life?
Robin's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of
RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLOW
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
Cindy Key Scenarios
Finding A Person Like Me
Cindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?
Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she
sees on RMC's site is relevant for
her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation
before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external
resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from
the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsRobin's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will
suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling
with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are
their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle
impact my daily life?
Robin's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of
RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLOW
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
Cindy Key Scenarios
Finding A Person Like Me
Cindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?
Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she
sees on RMC's site is relevant for
her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation
before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external
resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from
the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsRobin's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will
suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling
with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are
their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle
impact my daily life?
Robin's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of
RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLOW
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
63
64. Scenarios: User Engagement & Questions
Finding A Person Like Me
Cindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?
Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she
sees on RMC's site is relevant for
her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation
before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external
resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from
the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsRobin's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will
suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling
with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are
their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle
impact my daily life?
Robin's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of
RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLOW
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
64
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she
sees on RMC's site is relevant for
her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation
before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external
resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from
the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsCindy's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will
suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling
with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are
their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle
impact my daily life?
Cindy's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of
RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLOW
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
65. Scenarios: User Engagement & Questions
65
Finding A Person Like Me
Cindy is fed up with the limitations of her Toyota Prius. She loves
that the car is environmentally friendly and she does all she can
to lessen her impact, but living the suburbs makes having
personal transportation a necessity. She's in market for a new
Green vehicle to meet her expanding family and her active
lifestyle. Her co-worker, Danny, recently purchased a small SUV,
the Foxhound, from Rebel Motor Company.
She shares Danny's passion for kayaking and has another child
on the way so she decides to visit RMC's website to see if others
with her life situation are finding Rebel vehicles to have good
utility.
She begins her search by looking for online reviews. During her
process she starts to use filtering to narrow reviews down to
people in California and a passion for outdoor activities. She does
her best to sort these reviews but struggles to find some details
that are important to her (like how many children a reviewer has,
or if they have pets). After reading three positive reviews from
women in her state, she reads a few articles on Edmunds.com
and visits a few forums to see the passion behind RMC.
She also notices that one of her favorite food bloggers has RMC
as a sponsor of a recipe competition.
That night, Cindy uses her iPad to investigate the RMC website.
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?
Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she
sees on RMC's site is relevant for
her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation
before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external
resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from
the owners group.
Potential Pain PointsCindy's Questions
▪ How can I be sure that this car will
suit my family's needs?
▪ Can I find information on traveling
with pets in an RMC vehicle? Are
their options for towing/hauling?
▪ How will owning an RMC vehicle
impact my daily life?
Cindy's Goal
"I want to understand the experience of
RMC owners who are similar to me."
Motivators
FACT
FEEL
SLOW
FAST
Process / Workflow
Social / Relational
Content / Research
Finding People / Locations
66. 66
She looks at overview pages for the Foxhound for several minutes
and starts to configure a few trim levels. An online chat offer pops
up and she meets Mike, a concierge for RMC's website. Intrigued
with this level of service, she starts a dialogue and begins asking
a series of questions to fill gaps that she was missing in her initial
search. While the concierge is helpful and gives her a few videos
and user submitted articles to check out, it isn't really what she's
looking for. Still, intrigued by RMC's design, support and strong
reviews, she attempts to find owners in the online community to
chat with.
How can Rebel best support Cindy?
Providing Cindy with better filters for content would go a long way
in helping her find someone she can identify with. Additionally,
arming concierge team with general statistics on ownership (how
many owners have pets, how many are female owners and other
available information, etc.) benefits conquests like Cindy.
Streamlining the experience and offering more owner testimonials
and a feed of peer to peer communication mixed in with sales
and promotional material increase Cindy's opportunity for way
finding and a concierge's probability of being helpful in assisting
someone like Cindy.
▪ Doesn’t feel like the content she
sees on RMC's site is relevant for
her.
▪ Needs third party or peer validation
before purchase can occur.
▪ Concierge didn't provide external
resources.
▪ Would like additional insight from
the owners group.
Potential Pain Points
70. Kudos to Kissane
• Now that we understand business
needs, understand persona needs
and pain points, we can think about
content strategy (6 hours later!)
• This cognitive diagram will help you
start to frame what a user needs in
order to take action on your site
OVERCOME FEAR
(Via testimonial, Use Cases, Financial
Examples)
PLAN AND IMMERSE
(Browse an expert, Understand Tools)
EXPLORE OPTIONS
(Browse options and understand
qualifications
TAKE ACTION
(Apply for pin, Download Forms,
Contact Advisor)
70
71. Let’s take a Short break!
Photo: David Joyce- https://flic.kr/p/5AwR9z
72. chat with a
counsellor
EXPLORE OPTIONS
understand federal
aid
am I eligible?
what are my
financial impacts?
PLAN & IMMERSE OVERCOME FEAR TAKE ACTION
are there different
kinds of federal
aid?
apply for aid
how do I apply?
what forms do I
need?
what education do
I need to apply?
what happens
after I apply?
understand
repayment
understand private
aid
what are my
financial impacts?
understand
student aid
what is a grant?
what is a loan?
what is a
scholarship?
can I apply for
admittance
without aid?
what are the
payment
schedules?
can i postpone
repayment?
what happens if i
miss a payment?
self assesment
what tests do I
need to take?
repayment
calculators
chat with a
counsellor
account
management
what colleges
should I apply to?
how often do I
have to apply for
aid?
identify with others
am I eligible?
how does private
aid differ from
federal aid?
apply for financial
aid/pin
what are my
application
options?
how soon do I
need to apply?
get answers
decision tree
process
online application
aren't most
students in their
20s?
can you go back to
school and still be
a good parent?
will I still be able to
work?
new student
checklists
adult student
testimonials
read/create forum
topics
'getting started'
materials
adult student
testimonials
overview content
overview content contact forms
online application
connect to
representative
plan examples
when do I start
repaying?
how long will it
take?
who has to pay if I
die?
who has to pay if I
die?
outreach services
testimonials and
timelines
checklists and
overview
create accountoverview content
Part 4: Mental Modeling
73. What is a mental model?
A representation of the thought, and actionable processes, used to achieve a set of goals in a narrowly defined scope
73
chat with a
counsellor
EXPLORE OPTIONS
understand federal
aid
am I eligible?
what are my
financial impacts?
PLAN & IMMERSE OVERCOME FEAR TAKE ACTION
are there different
kinds of federal
aid?
apply for aid
how do I apply?
what forms do I
need?
what education do
I need to apply?
what happens
after I apply?
understand
repayment
understand private
aid
what are my
financial impacts?
understand
student aid
what is a grant?
what is a loan?
what is a
scholarship?
can I apply for
admittance
without aid?
what are the
payment
schedules?
can i postpone
repayment?
what happens if i
miss a payment?
self assesment
what tests do I
need to take?
repayment
calculators
chat with a
counsellor
account
management
what colleges
should I apply to?
how often do I
have to apply for
aid?
identify with others
am I eligible?
how does private
aid differ from
federal aid?
apply for financial
aid/pin
what are my
application
options?
how soon do I
need to apply?
get answers
decision tree
process
online application
aren't most
students in their
20s?
can you go back to
school and still be
a good parent?
will I still be able to
work?
new student
checklists
adult student
testimonials
read/create forum
topics
'getting started'
materials
adult student
testimonials
overview content
overview content contact forms
online application
connect to
representative
plan examples
when do I start
repaying?
how long will it
take?
who has to pay if I
die?
who has to pay if I
die?
outreach services
testimonials and
timelines
checklists and
overview
create accountoverview content
74. Starting with a hypothesis
The cognitive diagrams we finished in
the last exercise will serve as a base for
a content plan.
The four points we need to address
before action can occur are
“engagements” that require content
OVERCOME FEAR
(Via testimonial, Use Cases, Financial
Examples)
PLAN AND IMMERSE
(Browse an expert, Understand Tools)
EXPLORE OPTIONS
(Browse options and understand
qualifications
TAKE ACTION
(Apply for pin, Download Forms,
Contact Advisor)
75. Find your Base
One of the most important parts of a
communication focused mental model
is understanding the engagement that
you want to influence with the content.
This gives your content a reason for
being and something to measure
against.
EXPLORE OPTIONS
BASE
(Engagement)
76. Below the line: The Roots
Remember all those content inventories
content strategists keep telling you to
have?
Dig em out and plug it into your model
EXPLORE OPTIONS
BASE
(Engagement)
chat with a
counsellor
decision tree
process
overview content
overview content
plan examples
overview content
ROOTS
(Existing Systems & Content)
77. From inquiry: Mapping intentions
Intentions should come directly from
your personas, which are based on your
inquiry!
Intentions relate directly to the
engagement and should further qualify
why you need or don’t need a piece of
content.
EXPLORE OPTIONS
BASE
(Engagement)
chat with a
counsellor
decision tree
process
overview content
overview content
plan examples
overview content
ROOTS
(Existing Systems & Content)
understand federal
aid
understand private
aid
understand
student aid
SUPPORT STRUCTURE
(Intentions)
78. The New things: tasks
New content builds upon intentions and
serve as the towers for our mental models.
I tend to frame tasks as questions because
it allows me to use the persona’s frame of
reference to talk about a content need.
When we focus on tasks, we probably have
content that is useable for humans and
search engines.
EXPLORE OPTIONS
BASE
(Engagement)
chat with a
counsellor
decision tree
process
overview content
overview content
plan examples
overview content
ROOTS
(Existing Systems & Content)
understand federal
aid
understand private
aid
understand
student aid
SUPPORT STRUCTURE
(Intentions)
am I eligible?
what are my
financial impacts?
are there different
kinds of federal
aid?
how do I apply?
what are my
financial impacts?
what is a grant?
what is a loan?
what is a
scholarship?
am I eligible?
how does private
aid differ from
federal aid?
TOWER
(Tasks)
79. And we keep going
chat with a
counsellor
EXPLORE OPTIONS
understand federal
aid
am I eligible?
what are my
financial impacts?
PLAN & IMMERSE OVERCOME FEAR TAKE ACTION
are there different
kinds of federal
aid?
apply for aid
how do I apply?
what forms do I
need?
what education do
I need to apply?
what happens
after I apply?
understand
repayment
understand private
aid
what are my
financial impacts?
understand
student aid
what is a grant?
what is a loan?
what is a
scholarship?
can I apply for
admittance
without aid?
what are the
payment
schedules?
can i postpone
repayment?
what happens if i
miss a payment?
self assesment
what tests do I
need to take?
repayment
calculators
chat with a
counsellor
account
management
what colleges
should I apply to?
how often do I
have to apply for
aid?
identify with others
am I eligible?
how does private
aid differ from
federal aid?
apply for financial
aid/pin
what are my
application
options?
how soon do I
need to apply?
get answers
decision tree
process
online application
aren't most
students in their
20s?
can you go back to
school and still be
a good parent?
will I still be able to
work?
new student
checklists
adult student
testimonials
read/create forum
topics
'getting started'
materials
adult student
testimonials
overview content
overview content contact forms
online application
connect to
representative
plan examples
when do I start
repaying?
how long will it
take?
who has to pay if I
die?
who has to pay if I
die?
outreach services
testimonials and
timelines
checklists and
overview
create accountoverview content