user, stakeholders, & context

in the initial stage of the project, we created some 'assumed' users to help us elaborate the fine details in our User Stories. now that we have started the project, we need to identify real users - actual people in the real world. this discussion will assist us in defining the target users, stakeholders, and the physical context. with this understanding, we can go out and find these real individuals.

we will look into 3 main areas : Target User, Stakeholders, and Space and Environment. Target User is our main focus, and we will examine the empathetic relationships between Target User and Stakeholders, and their cognition and goals. on Stakeholders, we briefly outline the role-base discussion. then, we touch on the Space and Environment. with all these considerations, we summarise and visualise the Target User, Stakeholders, and Space and Environment into the Stakeholder Map.

first, let's discuss USERS (or target users). for our user research, we need several participants (not just one) who meet the criteria we’ve outlined for our target user. while we will go into extensive details about user classifications, we will also broaden our descriptions to be more conceptual, allowing us to identify similar individuals.

7.1/ users and emapathetic relationships

the named users identified in the initial User Story will now be referred to as the 'Target User'. we will describe the Target User using four empathetic relationships (from inside to outside), which include :

how they perceive themselves
how they operate
how they interact with others
how they engage with their social and cultural context

while there are many qualitative attributes that can be used to describe a user, we will only select a few relevant ones for each specific case that characterise the relationships between users and stakeholders, rather than applying all attributes. a comprehensive list of these attributes will be provided later in the discussion.

example
from Group 1

khun Chanda, the empathy-driven healthcare worker

who is khun Chanda, who is she inside, who is she with outside ?

a healthcare nurse who works in a government hospital who believe a holistic approach of healthcare that focuses both physical and emotional well-being.
motivated to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives drives her to adopt and promote empathy-driven practices.
see the positive outcomes of her approach; she feels a sense of purpose and validation in her role as a healthcare provider.

who will be the stakeholders in the context ?

primary users - in-patients, under khun Chanda's approach, not specific
secondary users - relevant in-patient families, not specific
supporters - khun Chanda and her team
providers - khun Chanda's team, hospital medical staff, hospital service staff, not specific

how they engage with each other ?

Chanda sees the positive outcomes of her approach
also faces skepticism or resistance from some colleagues who might not see the value in empathy-driven care
persevere, demonstrated her emotional resilience on this approach.

how they connect ?

find a way to connect with patients and colleagues on a deeper level
foster a sense of community within the hospital

what context are they in ?

government hospital, very high traffic of patients, a high-pressure healthcare environment
generally, the vibe is bad. medical and healthcare staff is stressed, and patients are struggle with their health conditions.

with this information, we are able to look for participants in the user search.

initial stakeholder map, to be updated along the User Research

7.11/ extensive lists of empathetic relationships

who they are inside

mind, cognition, thoughts, beliefs, memories, emotions, feelings, moods, characters, personality, emotional intelligence

who they are with outside

soul, meaning, purpose, values, beliefs, spiritual, existential questions

example

how they build

gender orientation, body system and features, appearance and image, inherited traits, physical health, neurological functions and conditions,

how they operate

physical health, bodily functions, special capability, disability, physical activity and motor skills, dexterity

example

how they connect

others, society, culture, space, technology, nature, universe, higher power

how they behave

aspirations, motivations, goals, personality traits, temperament

how they communicate

manner, styles, social skills interactions

how they act

routines, daily activities, actions

how they pursue

interests, habits, passions, lifestyle choices

example

how they engage with others

family, family members, friends, peers and colleagues, communities

how they engage within society

social identity, status, social norms, social networks, memberships and affiliations, social classes, socioeconomic, wealth, occupation, education, knowledge and skills, access to resources, power and dynamics

how they engage in culture

culture, history and heritages, collective values and norms, connection to place

how they connect with power

politics, rights, peacefulness, privileges

example

7.12/ cognition and goals

we may also describe the cognitive abilities and the goals of the user in a specific context. these considerations affect how users interact with others, and how users prioritise their actions.

cognitive abilities, physical abilities, technical skills

functional needs, emotional needs, desires, fulfilment and accomplishment, social needs, build relationship, immediate, short-term, and long-term goals

7.2/ stakeholders and roles

in a commercial environment, we shift our perspective to examine the roles and relationships between users and stakeholders. task-based and role-based assignments help us understand how tasks, activities, and roles are structured within a specific context. while we focus on the flow of products and services, we observe different assignments, ranging from brands and providers to customers, consumers, and users. this understanding reveals the user value, as well as what users think and feel in the user context.

primary user, secondary user, influencers, supporters (gatekeepers, evaluators, administrators)

brand, provider, developer, manufacturers, wholeseller and channels, customers, customers, users

7.3/ user context, space and environment

answer the question of where users are and where they stand, considering the rational and emotional implications among users, stakeholders, and their surrounding environment. nowadays, the concept of space and environment extends beyond just the physical realm. we typically classify environments into four domains: the nature environment, the built environment, the technology environment, and the invisible environment.

the nature environment and the built environment are the most straightforward. the nature environment refers to the world around us, while the built environment consists of the man-made spaces we inhabit daily. both types of environments provide us with functional convenience, emotional safety, a sense of ownership (or accessibility), and more.

today, technology is also considered an environment. discussions often focus on user accessibility to technology, digital literacy, and the impact of technology on users' lives.

the 'invisible' environment is purely conceptual, encompassing user relationships with spirituality, religion, and culture, including values, norms, beliefs, and customs. it also includes access to politics, rights, peacefulness, and privileges.

we can break down the space and environment into smaller classifications to precisely discuss where users locate themselves and perform their tasks and activities. although these are fine details, user values, user think and feel will change based on these external contexts.

7.4/ stakeholder map

once we have a good understanding and a well-structured description about users and stakeholders, we could organise an initial Stakeholder Map. it is a visual that represents the users, stakeholders, and the relationships among them, as well as their think and feel in the context of use. the purpose of the stakeholder map goes beyond merely listing the number of users and stakeholders; it aims to identify hidden emotional drivers and connections between all users and stakeholders.

the stakeholder map is typically structured as a concentric graphic, with the primary user at the center. in some cases, the map is organized from left to right to represent different user locations or contexts. we can also arrange the map using various concepts. for example (above), one configuration places the primary user at the center, followed by secondary users, other users, and then the provider. sometimes, the structure begins with the primary user in the center, followed by internal stakeholders, and then external stakeholders. it is important to explore different organisation models that effectively represent the actual user context.

7.5/ user journey map

the visual representations of the flow of the user experience along the steps a user takes to achieve a goal. these representations go beyond basic user flows by incorporating empathetic emotions towards others, sympathetic considerations on product or service, and insights into what the user thinks and feels at each stage. they also highlight the important touchpoints and pain points along the journey. there are many variances of User Journey Map; discussed below are the common User Journey Map, and Conifer Research's 5E Compelling Experience Framework.

User Journey Map (common)

outline the actual stages of activities over time and provide a detailed visualisation of user tasks, activities, objects, locations, and the emotions users feel towards others, as well as their perceptions of products and services. this format is particularly effective for mapping user experiences across complex activity flows. for example, it can be applied to understand the user experience at the registration counter in a healthcare clinic.

5E Compelling Experience Framework

a conceptual model based on five stages of user engagement: Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit, and Extend. rather than mapping user experience in relation to time and individual activities, the 5E framework allows us to take a broader view and effectively represent the overall flow of the user experience. for instance, it can be applied to study the user experience journey in a restaurant, where multiple influences occur simultaneously.

Conifer Research : https://coniferresearch.com/5e-framework/

7.6/ extreme users and lead user

in user research, we may not reach average users through the extensive process. we consider two specific user types to uncover new and unique insights: extreme users and lead users. in essence, Extreme Users suggest the new baseline of the new product new service, where Lead Users inspire new values in future product creation.

finding Extreme Users and Lead Users for Front-End User Research is more challenging than recruiting average users for focus group interviews. Extreme Users exhibit unique behaviours, while Lead Users actively seek solutions and adaptations for their specific needs.

extreme users - users exhibit extremes in specific behaviors. may either strongly support the product or service through high engagement or disbelieve in the solution, resulting in infrequent usage.

extreme high or extreme low engagement
specific needs stretched further from the original design
unique perspectives, way outside the original intent
current extremes behaviors, influence to adjust the baseline of product or service
case specific, often close to or even less than 1% of the total user population

example

at Starbucks, one customer when he meets with his friends, every time he meets them there, but not else where. he finds certain favourable details about the café that others may overlook. in contrast, another customer is asked by his friends to meet at Starbucks before a movie, but he suggests going somewhere else as long as it's not Starbucks. he has specific reasons for his dislike, which even Starbucks may not be aware of.

lead user - individuals who demonstrate specific needs ahead of the curve and often adjust the product or service in own terms. their insights inspire new perspective, new values in the future product or service.

proactive
highly motivated
innovative
future needs, inspire to create new values in future product creation
case specific, proactive behaviours are even less common than those of extreme user

example

at Starbucks, it's common to see customers listening to their own music through earpieces (a known lead user behaviour everyday). one day, a customer shows up and brings his own sugar. this is a less common lead user behaviour (one out of hundreds), as he understands that Starbucks’ sugar isn’t suited to his needs, he takes a lead and comes up with his own solution!

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