Problem Analysis & Requirements
Team 6: Rachel Ogg, David Champlin
Environmental Analysis
- Where will the product be used (all possible sites)?
Product will be used in the home, office, and on the go. Since it is delivered via email a user can access it anywhere he or she has an internet connection.
- What are the physical characteristics of each location (space, lighting, etc.)?
- Home: The space has variable lighting that can be changed according to the needs of the homeowner. It can be both quiet or loud depending on how many people are present i.e. family members. The environment is private and the user can read the information at her leisure.
- Office: The office has fluorescent or LED lighting at a constant brightness. The environment usually has standard office background noise like radios with the volume turned down, copy machines running and phones ringing. The environment is public and so the user may be more selective about her viewing habits because of the possibility of people looking over her shoulder.
- On-the-go: The user could be anywhere: in the car, on the bus/train which means lighting will vary from location to location. The environment could potentially have a lot of background noise like traffic or the sounds that are heard inside a coffee shop or cafe. In most scenarios there will probably be a lot of people around but they won’t necessarily be part of the user’s immediate environment like in the office or at home.
- How long will the product be used before revision or abandonment (lifespan)?
Most users would skim the information, decide which articles to read, read them and then not reference the newsletter again. The newsletter will only be opened once, after that it will probably be deleted. The Update maintains an Archive section on the website which 100% of our users indicate they reference from time to time.
- When will the product be used by users (morning/evening, seasons)?
The Legislative Update is distributed to a subscriber list during the Missouri State legislative session and once a month during session recess. The majority of its use will come during the legislative session when there is more activity and more issues are being sent. Research on email newsletter open rates shows that most emails are opened after 12 noon with the highest open rates seen between 2-5 pm Source Link. I think it would be safe to assume that recipients of this newsletter follow the same pattern.
- What are patterns of product use (sporadic, scheduled)?
See above. The highest use will be seen during the legislative session when newsletters are sent out between 3-4 times per month. The product use is considered “scheduled” because of this.
- Are the proper tools and equipment available at sites to use the product?
Yes, all that is needed is access to a computer or mobile device with internet access. Most of the targeted user group will have this level of access on a routine basis.