Helping users develop mental models of products and interfaces

Abstract

Payne's discussion of mental representations of representational artifacts has consequences in the context of Monk's discussion of common ground. The author calls for a focus on users' mental models when designing interfaces for electronically mediated communication and argue that simply designing for common ground without considering a user's understanding of such common ground is limiting. The author also argues that new and interesting communication devices could emerge if we consider that for all mental representations of data, even data in the minds of speakers in real-time conversations, there exists a theoretical device space that would model and therefore assist with the manipulation of such data. Common ground informs not generally considered possible might emerge if we find ways to put such device spaces into practice.