Usage Patterns for Ecosystem 1.0: Chandler Desktop, Scooby Web App and Cosmo Server

• Background on our 1.0 Target Users: OneDotZeroUsageScenarios.pdf:
• Summary spreadsheet of Usage Patterns: OneDotZeroUsagePatterns.xls

What is a Usage Pattern? A Usage Pattern is..

• A pattern of usage defined around a common verb: Record, Process, Document, Archive.
• A set of Usage Scenarios with roughly the same workflow morphology.

For example Usage Pattern #2 below is similar to but different from Usage Pattern #13. Both involve creating information items to record information. However, #2 more often than not, includes an automated alarm, set by the user to force them to re-focus on the information at a later time, in a different context. This is because in #2, users can predict when and where they're going to need to access this piece of information. Whereas in #13, they aren't. They simply want to archive the information, in case they need to retrieve it later.

These Usage Patterns emerged from the large body of specific Use Cases we collected from our user interviews and user research. The use cases have been grouped into Usage Scenarios, which are in turn grouped into Usage Patterns.

If Usage Patterns are defined around a verb: Record, Process, Document, Archive, then Usage Scenarios are defined around an object noun. Record birthdays. Record meetings. Record packing list items.

Our Use Cases, Usage Scenarios and Usage Patterns are framed independent of the specific tools users employ to accomplish these tasks. We wanted to get away from specific descriptions of features, functionality and user affordances and focus on user needs and requirements. In this way we hope to avoid the mistake of designing for user hacks, which are usually employed by only a few people and instead come up with a more universal design that meets the more general needs of our target user group.

See spreadsheet for more details: OneDotZeroUsageScenarios.xls: OneDotZeroUsageScenarios.xls

Usage Patterns & Workflow

1 Record information for the benefit of others

• Get it down
• Get it to others
• Get it in front of their face at the right place, at the right time, in the right context
• Target user(s) Assistant, Busy Body / Coordinator, Hub, Individual contributor
• Tools today Email, Communal whiteboards
• Ecosystem solution(s) Quick Item Entry, Stamping and Communications, Edit and Update workflows, Sharing, Shared Dashboards, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator

2 Record information for your own benefit

• Get it down
• Get it in front of your face at the right place, at the right time, in the right context
• Target user(s) Everybody
• Tools today Email, Calendar, PDA, Day planner, Sticky note
• Ecosystem solution(s) Quick Item Entry, Dashboard with Ticklers, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Chandler user
• What we're missing Context dependent Ticklers beyond Time (e.g. Portable reminders, GPS-dependent ticklers, task dependent ticklers) , Task flavors: Errands, Chores, Phone calls

3 Process and Manage FOCUS

• Have a single place for new, unprocessed things
• Scan new, unprocessed things
• Decide if they need further action
• If they do, decide if it can, should, needs to wait until later
• Target user(s) Hub, Busy Body / Coordinator, Assistant, Apex
• Tools today Head, Inbox
• Ecosystem solution(s) Dashboard, Items appearing in more than 1 Collection, Stamping and Communications, Edit and Update workflows, Labeling, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing Centralized collection point for all of your information (e.g. Email, Mailing lists, RSS feeds, Documents)

4 Process and Manage FOCUS - for others

• Keep track of primary owners for each issue
• PING individuals
• Focus the groups attention on a set of issues
• Keep track of deferred issues
• Keep track of primary owners for each issue
• Keep track of important milestone dates and progress check-in dates
• Target user(s) Hub, Apex, Busy Body / Coordinator, Assistant
• Tools today Email, IM, Mailing lists, Wikis, Stickies, Whiteboards, Meetings, Phone calls
• Ecosystem solution(s) Dashboard, Items appearing in more than 1 Collection, Labeling, Stamping and Communications, Edit and Update workflows, Sharing, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing Contacts + Conversation log, Fit and Finish polish on workflows

5 Keep track of

• Get it down
• Organize it so you can find it again later, at-will
• Check on it periodically
• If something has changed, it would be nice if it alerted you
• Target user(s) Hub, Busy Body / Coordinator, Assistant, Apex
• Tools today Head, Inbox, Ad-hoc lists
• Ecosystem solution(s) Ticklers, Stamping, Labeling
• What we're missing Portable access, Automated, centralized collection point for all of your information (e.g. Follow-up emails on a certain issue won't necessarily automatically appear in Chandler.)

6 Schedule

• Figure out what it is you're scheduling
• Figure out who needs to be there
• Figure out how urgent it is
• Figure out what other people's schedules are, roughly
• Propose time(s) and location(s)
• Negotiate times
• Confirm time and location
• Remember to go to scheduled event
• Keep track of this scheduling process as it unfolds over time
• Target user(s) Hub, Busy Body / Coordinator, Assistant, Apex
• Tools today Email, IM, Face-to-face, Calendaring system
• Ecosystem solution(s) Stamping: Communications and Calendar, Dashboard, Edit & Update workflow, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing Seamless free-busy workflows, Accept, Tentative, Decline workflows

7 Coordinate

• Gather goals and requirements from key stakeholders
• Propose a process
• Communicate goals and requirements to participants
• Collect input from participants
• Collate input from participants
• Put out feelers for logistical and support services
• Collect information about logistical and support services
• Review and gather feedback about options with key stakeholders and participants
• Review project with key stakeholders at regular intervals
• Confirm final plan
• Communicate final plan
• Keep track of project as it unfolds over time
• Target user(s) Coordinator, Assistant
• Tools today Email
• Ecosystem solution(s) Sharing, Stamping: Communications, Calendar and Task, Dashboard, Edit and Update workflow, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing Full-scale contacts management

8 Plan

• Record project
• Record next actions
• Record known milestone dates
• Record known dependencies
• Keep track of project plan as it unfolds over time
• Target user(s) Hub, Busy Body, Apex, Assistant
• Tools today Ad-hoc lists
• Ecosystem solution(s) Items appearing in more than 1 Collection: Keeping the Dashboard in sync with project plans, Clusters, Stamping: Task and Calendar, Project dashboard views, Sharing, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing A way to reflect task dependencies

9 Drive and Facilitate

• Identify the issue that needs to be worked out
• Frame the discussion (in collaboration with 1-2 others)
• Summarize issues
• Identify problems to address
• Direct the flow of conversation
• Capture off-topic threads to continue in a different discussion
• Summarize decisions
• Identify next actions and milestones
• Keep track of discussion as it unfolds over time
• Target user(s) Hub, Busy Body
• Tools today Email, Face-to-face
• Ecosystem solution(s) Dashboard, Clusters, Support for multiple windows, Edit and Update workflows, Sharing, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing Integrated email client, Holding pen area for gathering together items into a Cluster

10 Summarize and Communicate

• Keep track of discussion
• Pull together bits and pieces of discussion
• Ask others to summarize their points for you
• Verify the accuracy of your summary with others
• Draft a summary, in collaboration with 1-2 others
• Include references to previous summaries and write-ups of the discussion for more details
• Keep track of summary as you iterate on it
• Target user(s) Hub, Busy Body
• Tools today Email
• Ecosystem solution(s) Dashboard, Clusters, Support for multiple windows, Labeling, Edit and Update workflows, Sharing, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing Integrated email client, Holding pen area for gathering together items into a Cluster

11 Document

• Identify scope of you what you need to document
• Collect questions and requirement from ultimate consumers of the document
• Pull together information that will go into the document
• Chase down answers to questions you have about other people's proposals and decisions that have been made
• Apply a pre-defined template to the document
• Draft a first pass at the document
• Send draft around for feedback
• Incorporate feedback. Repeat as necessary.
• Send out final draft
• Put document somewhere where others can access it
• Target user(s) Hub, Busy Body, Coordinator, Assistant
• Tools today Word, Email
• Ecosystem solution(s) Dashboard, Clusters, Support for multiple windows, Labeling, Edit and Update workflows, Sharing, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing First-class support for documents, Templating, Holding pen area for gathering together items into a Cluster

12 Contribute

• Keep track of discussions
• Identify when you are being asked to weigh in on an issue
• Identify issues where you should weigh in, regardless of whether you have been called out by the discussion driver
• Catch up on the discussion
• Reply with your input
• Target user(s) Busy Body, Individual Contributor, Hub, Apex
• Tools today Email
• Ecosystem solution(s) Sharing, Shared Dashboard, Capital-N notifications, Folksonomy, Clusters, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing Rich experience for composing emails, Integrated email client

13 Review

• Find items you've deferred until later
• Update
• Target user(s) Hub, Busy Body, Apex, Assistant
• Tools today Ad-hoc lists, Inbox
• Ecosystem solution(s) Items appearing in more than 1 Collection keep Dashboard and Project plans in sync, project collection dashboard views
• What we're missing Task flavors: e.g. To read

14 Archive

• Organize the item so you can find it again later.
• Get it out of your face for now.
• Target user(s) Everybody
• Tools today Email
• Ecosystem solution(s) Labeling, Items appearing in more than 1 Collection, Search, Folksonomy (shared labelling), Sharing, Desktop-Web Workflows for the Casual Collaborator
• What we're missing Full-scale contacts management, Full-scale document and media management.

15 Archive for the benefit of others

• Label and Structure
• Target user(s) Busy Body / Coordinator, Assistant, Hub
• Tools today CMSes, Wikis, Sharepoint, File cabinets, Mailing lists
• Ecosystem solution(s) Shared labels and user-defined attributes???
• What we're missing Affordance for building and interacting with organizational structures

Links to documents that will provide more context for the Ecosystem solutions mentioned above:

• QuickItemEntry

• 0.7 Stamping Spec
• For explanation of Clusters: See StampingStoryboards

• 0.7 Dashboard Spec
• TriageDesign

• SharingScenarios
• DesktopWebWorkflows

-- MimiYin - 21 Jun 2006