Understand
Mental Models
The explanation people carry in their heads of how something works.
What is Mental Models?
The explanation people carry in their heads of how something works.
What you learn
People act on how they think it works, not how it works.
When it helps
people expect a different result from the one they get.
Use it at work
- Ask people to explain how they think it works.
- Watch what they do because of that belief.
- Find where their model and the real system differ.
- Change the design or the explanation to close the gap.
Your output
Ask three people to explain how a feature works before they use it. Note where their explanation differs from the real one.
Watch for
Assuming people understand how the system actually works.
Related practices
Sources
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