Archived Event

At the Elbow: Understanding Users' Perception of Process and Effort

Date : Oct 02, 2007
Start Time : 11 a.m. Eastern
Length : 01:00:00

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A key step in designing any user oriented service is recognizing the fact that people are careful investors of their time. When clients perceive a process to be too lengthy or cumbersome in relation to the benefit it produces, they will generally ignore it or seek an easier or faster alternative. Therefore, it is essential that we "sit at their elbows" to gain a detailed understanding of the activities they perform in their work and how they experience "us" (or not!). Whether we are constructing intranets or supporting research, we need to know when and where we ought to "pop up" to make them an offer they can't refuse - because it meets an immediate requirement, because it is effortless, and because the investment of time pays off for them.

Ulla de Stricker —Consultant, de Stricker Associates

Ulla de Stricker, in consulting practice since 1992, helps clients deal with the full gamut of knowledge management challenges, bringing to bear decades of experience. Since the late 1970s, Ulla de Stricker held information industry positions with responsibility in the areas of strategy, design, and market client relations. She managed the Canadian operations for DIALOG in the 1980s and built the electronic publishing venture for a Canadian unit of Thomson in the early 1990s. She is well known for her bold vision of the future of the library profession and is a popular speaker at information conferences internationally. www.destricker.com