User Analysis

• User 1: Grad student.
  • Motivated and independent generally, but different in group decision-making process.
  • Socializes very often.
  • Takes group up to 20 minutes to decide, depending on whether there's a group leader.
  • Role: non-confrontational personality, goes along with the group's decision.
• User 2: Grad student.
  • Knows what he wants for himself, but very indifferent in a group.
  • Socializes once a week.
  • Takes group 3 to 15 minutes to decide.
  • Strategy: someone suggests a place to go and waits for everyone else to approve.
  • Role: non-confrontational personality, goes along with the group's decision.
•  User 3: Grad student.
  • Active in the decision-making process, but not always to positive effect.
  • Socializes once a week.
  • Up to 20 minutes to decide, depending on whether there's a leader and whether people have strong preferences.
  • Problems: sometimes no one makes a suggestion, or the suggester gives up too easily.
  • Strategy: look for suggestions strongly preferred by most people. Sometimes takes way too long.
  • Role: decision-maker when he has a strong preference, decision-rejector or passive other times.
• User 4: Grad student.
  • Can't make decisions easily.
  • Socializes about twice a month.
  • Takes anywhere from minutes to half of a day to decide, depending on the group's size.
  • Problem: difficult to satisfy everyone in a large group.
  • Strategy: have a decisive and persuasive person in the group.
  • Role: decision-rejector, non-confrontational personality.
• User 5: Undergrad.
  • Socializes about once a week.
  • Problems: dietary preferences (e.g., vegetarianism), people who tend to reject most suggestions, one friend who has very narrow restaurant preferences.
  • Role: generally agreeable personality, typically accepts group preference.

User Summary

• Indecision is a common problem, regardless of frequency of socialization.
• Decision process generally relies on one person making a decision and everyone else accepting it.
• Problems include no one making suggestions and accommodating everyone's preferences.

Task Analysis