How to design Novice User Guide

Introduction: This article is small qi, Mo Xuan, Tan, and I 4 people work together results, in this September STS design sharing will be staged once. Our design sharing will be a total of 4 keynote speeches, and a few other topics will be here to meet you later.

A new network product, or a brand new feature to attract users ' interest, requires the user to quickly understand what it is, what it can do, and start a simple operation immediately. If you look at it for a long time and don't understand it, then it is possible to give up completely.

Therefore, the design novice User Guide, is the design user first, two times uses the product experience, the design goal is lets the novice user quickly, painlessly becomes the intermediary user.

first, design-time considerations

Regardless of the type of product, novice users experience some common emotional process when they try: they are curious and dazed about new products and features, hoping to quickly understand its concepts and scope. It is more sensitive and easy to be frustrated when trying to use it. If you have a very good understanding of the products of the expert-level users, will generally believe that the expert users of the product introduction and judgment.

In response to these emotional features of novice users, we try to put forward some considerations when designing novice users to boot.

1. As few novice tasks as possible

First of all, we want to let the novice quickly understand what the product is, what can be done, and can quickly start, then complete the process must go through the task is not much, to be particularly targeted. Guide the user to read the instructions or try to operate around the "understanding of the concept of products, scope," The goal to start, as far as possible, not more than three novice tasks. "Think of users as very smart, but very busy people." "──alan Cooper.

2. The best guidance is invisible.

If the user interface of a product is done well enough to embody the user's mental model, then there is no need to design the so-called novice User Guide, but to let the user know how to do it as soon as they see it. On the other hand, in the new product to continue the user in other similar products have been developed in the use of habits will be guided into a means of intangible.

3. Easy to find and understand

When the new features are indeed complex enough to require special guidance, we need to make the guidance information easy for users to discover and understand, and provide a clear operational portal.

4. Appropriately exaggerate the extent of user success

When the novice is more sensitive and prone to frustration, giving her some encouragement and positive feedback can help her build confidence in her use. This approach is particularly common in games, the task for beginners is generally very simple, reward points will come particularly easy, once the start of the more difficult. Setting the task for the user to match her level of use and helping her grow, which is also in line with the Mihalyi Casikszentmilhalyi theory of the heart flow.

5. Forgive user error

Users are most likely to wander around when they don't know the product, so the product needs to provide a safe, exploratory environment. System to provide error proofing, error correction, to help recover from errors and other mechanisms, the task for novice users can be done more detailed and thoughtful, can spend a number of costs.

second, design ideas

How should the above points of attention be reflected in the product? We have consulted some information and also learned the common practices of the currently popular websites, on the basis of which we propose our design ideas. is far from what design method, because still very not rigorous. Just want to put forward for everyone to discuss, Pat Brick is also possible. We call it a "novice task-centric" design ideas.

1. Identify Novice Tasks

When it comes to novice tasks, the first step is to determine what a novice task is. We know that product design is always centered on the middle user, not for novice users to design a separate product. In the design of the interface for the middle user based on the extraction of some novice tasks to help novice users to grow. The best guidance mentioned above is intangible. If you do the invisible Guide, then there is no need to set up a dedicated novice task, but in many cases, the novice task is necessary.

We first sorted out a feature list for the product and then filtered out the tasks for novice users.

The filter is based on the following guidelines:

• The first 3 times to use the product needs to operate the task;
• Not to complete the task, otherwise can not continue to use the product;
• Focus on no more than 3 novice quests.

2. Analysis of Task characteristics

After the novice task is identified, the characteristics of the task are analyzed. We analyze a task from two dimensions: task difficulty and operating frequency . The following figure is a SNS Web site for example, enumerated 4 tasks, respectively, corresponding to 4 different task characteristics:

• Registration: Low difficulty, low operating frequency;
• Establish personal data: high difficulty, low operating frequency;
• Write blog: Low difficulty, high operating frequency;
• Set up a circle of friends: high difficulty, high operating frequency.

3. Analyze user types

According to the user's purpose of using the product is clear, we divide the user into 3 types: non-directional, exploratory and oriented.

• No direction: No goals, no knowledge of what you want, occasionally find information of interest, weak adhesion to the use of products.
• Exploratory type: vague goals, but not accurate expression, the scope of the target is too wide to be determined quickly, the stickiness of the use of products, may choose competitor products.
• Directional: A planned, purposeful visit to the site, sometimes even clear how to do it, patient, inclusive, strong adhesion to the use of products.

The characteristics of novice tasks and user types in the above way to roughly analyze the classification, the next step is to determine how to display these tasks in the interface to guide the user step-by-step operation, that is, the specific performance of the task. We summarize 7 common methods of presentation, and correspond to task characteristics and user types one by one.

Iii. methods of expression

1. Shouting style

Use visual means to achieve the novice task "yelling" effect, aimed at attracting novice users to take immediate action.

Image source: Backpackit

• Applicable task characteristics: independent of the main task or step-by-Step simple task, low frequency of operation;
• Applicable user types: non-direction, exploratory type.

2. Fill in blank type

Make use of people's instinct to fill the unfinished mind, create gaps in the interface, and attract new users to fill the content.

Image source: Flickr

• Applicable task characteristics: independent of the main task or step-by-step simple tasks, operating frequency can be high and low;
• Applicable user types: Exploratory, non-oriented.

3. Global Tour Style

Guide the user to follow the set path step-by-Step reading the product's function description, as well as the attempt to operate, gradually the product concept, scope, core functions introduced to the user.

Image source: Sina Light Blog

• Applicable task characteristics: Complex task, many steps, low operating frequency;
• Applicable user types: Directional type, exploratory type.

4. Task Wizard Style

Splits a complex large task into subtasks, and steps the user action step-by-step.

Image source: Facebook

• Applicable task characteristics: complex operation steps, low operating frequency;
• Applicable user type: directional type.

5. Novice practicing style

Directs the user to try to complete a task for the first time under clear guidelines.

Photo Source: 360° Panorama Photography Community

• Applicable task characteristics: The task is complex, the operation frequency is high;
• Applicable user types: Directional type, exploratory type.

6. Example-inspired

The use of novice users to believe that the psychological characteristics of experts, to the middle and advanced users of successful cases to motivate novice users, to arouse her interest in learning new products.

Photo Source: Shrimp Net

• Task characteristic: The task is more complex, the operation frequency is high;
• User type: Non-direction type, exploratory type.

7. Embed the Help type

In the process of user operation tasks, timely help in the scene, usually short text information.

Image source: Taobao

• Task characteristics: Simple task, can rely on a short help to complete the operation, the operating frequency can be high and low;
• User type: Directional type, exploratory type

Finally, the 7 methods are summarized, the characteristics of the novice task and different user types, you can choose the corresponding performance methods.

The above is our summary of the design of novice users to guide some ideas. Once again, it is not a rigorous design method, welcome to explore, to shoot bricks can also.

Resources:

1. Simple to beginners and rich for aficionados:how Starbucks ' drink framework and ordering language engage customers at All levels, dubberly design Office
2. task-based user interface design, Martijn van Welie