How does scenarios help you build an effective conceptual model design

Creating an ideal conceptual model design is challenging, unless you are an user or know the user well.

As designers, we should train ourselves to step back and understand both the parties – App and User.

Ask questions like – What sort of tasks does the app want the user to perform? List out all tasks, and subsequently create scenarios for each of these task or scenarios for set of tasks that are interconnected.

Scenarios are short stories about a specific user, performing a particular task in a given circumstance

To create these scenarios you will have to live in questions, ask questions like –
1. What do they want to do?
2. Why?
3. What do they expect to see on the screen?
4. What is the probably device they will use to perform the task?
5. What will be the screen size?
6. If they use multiple screens sizes, should we follow the same design structure throughout?

 

Example for scenario

Let me phrase a simple scenario for a banking app.

 

Scenario Objective

In a corporate banking account, transaction approval by company’s co-founder

 

Scenario

Layla has initiated a transaction to pay stationery supplier Ryan’s bill. The payment will be passed only after Jane, the second co-founder approves the same.

 

So what are the screens (Use Cases) Jane expects from the app to complete the task?

 

Simple scenarios like above, changes design perspective. It helps us design for humans, for real users.

While, creating these design flow and structure, you will have to keep a couple of things in mind.
1. Make sure actionable items are always above the screen-fold. Actionable items like – text field to fill-in transaction password.
2. Make sure the button text is appropriate to requested action

Scenarios will help you create an app, that is closer to user’s expectations.

Scenario example I have shared, looks very simple and you may even wonder. “Should I have to invest time to create these basic screens?”

Trust me, many popular banking apps have not attempted to analyse the user and complicated the flow. In this competitive world, customer satisfaction defines your success.

Here is another article capturing must haves and tips for scenarios.