Use scenarios: a useful design tool for mbusiness

Abstract

This paper presents use scenarios, derived from user-centred design research and practice, as a useful tool for representing the user in the design of mbusiness technologies. Use scenarios are increasingly being employed as a method for addressing issues facing the mbusiness community such as lack of adoption of technologies and services, usability issues, and the difficulty of designing technologies for a variety of users. Their use in the design of new mobile technologies enhances the likelihood that these technologies will be widely adopted to successfully exploit the wealth generating potential of the mobile wireless market. This paper reviews the place of use scenarios within user-centred design and then considers how scenarios have been used to date within mbusiness. We conclude with a discussion of the differences between empirically derived and fictional use scenarios, arguing for the importance of the former for grounding the design within its context of use.