Information-gathering Survey Questions

These are questions and scenarios we used in our survey to determine how people act in situations in which a decision needs to be made either by them or another person. The results of our survey can be found here: PK3k Survey

General:

• How often do you ask others to help make your decisions? (e.g. movies, activities, restaurants).  How do you ask?
• How often do you get asked to help others make decisions?  How do they ask you?

Task-based scenarios:

1. Task: Ask for help deciding between two things for some reason.
   • Scenario: You are choosing between two shoes to buy.  How do you choose?
   • Scenario: Stranger asks should I watch Star Wars IV or Lord of the Rings I.  Do you help them?  If so, how?  If not, why not?
2. Task: Help someone decide by voting on which they believe is better/solves a problem.
   • Scenario: Friend asks should I buy a Nook or a Kindle.  Do you help them? If so, how?  If not, why not?
3. Task: Learn through observing what others are comparing things to.
   • Scenario: You already know you like Game of Thrones, and you see that someone is comparing it to LOTR.  Does that increase your desire to learn about LOTR?
   • Scenario: You want to find more games like Angry Birds.  What do you do?

User Analysis

We have determined that there are two groups of users. This analysis is based on the survey results found here: PK3k Survey as well as a few observational case studies.

Group 1: The Indecisive

Age: 13 - 35

Gender: N/A

Education: English literate

Abilities: Computer literate, Access to internet

Motivations: Trying to make a decision between two things ("Which TV should I buy: an LCD or Plasma?"). Curious about popular opinion on two things ("Which is better, a Kindle or a Nook?"). Looking for more, similar products ("I liked playing Angry Birds. What other games are like that?")

Existing Approaches: When making decisions or seeking popular opinion: asking friends, either in person (most common), over the phone, through texts, or through IM. Occasionally search the Internet for additional information about the topics. When looking for more, similar products: search the Internet first, and ask friends for suggestions as a secondary resource.

Group 2: The Decisive

Age: 13 - 35

Gender: N/A

Education: English literate

Abilities: Computer literate, Access to internet

Motivations: Wanting to help others make decisions ("Get an XBox 360, not a PS3"). Providing information about a decision ("Plasma TVs are better suited for watching TV shows and movies.").

Existing Approaches: Respond to questions when asked directly ("if I get asked, it is usually because I am doing something with a group."), usually in person. Respond to texts and instant messages as well. Redirecting question to other resources when not knowing a good answer ("I don't know much about the Kindle or Nook, so I would ask another friend or check the Internet.").

Personae

Persona 1: Agnes is a 19-year-old female student with big plans for the evening. She's not sure what movie she should rent for her and her boyfriend, but knows that he really likes epic adventures. After scanning a top-10 list of adventure movies, Agnes decides that either Pan's Labyrinth or Lord of the Rings would be good choices - she thinks that she would like them, too. She then sets up a quick poll on PK3k: "Do I watch Pan's Labyrinth or Lord of the Rings tonight with my boyfriend?" Her friends all poll in favor of Lord of the Rings, commenting that the dark motifs and heavy violence in Pan's Labyrinth didn't encourage a romantic atmosphere. With this information, Agnes easily decides to pick up the first Lord of the Rings movie for the night.

Persona 2: Claudius is a 23-year-old male masseuse, about to go shopping with his father. They are planning to buy a new TV. They are ready to upgrade from the old CRT they have been using for years, but aren't sure whether an LCD or Plasma TV will better suit their needs. Claudius hops on to the PK3k website the night before they go shopping, raising a poll of which TV to buy. His friends and strangers all weigh in on the benefits of each TV type; the next morning, a total of thirteen votes have come in: 7 for Plasma and 6 for LCD. While Claudius isn't entirely sold by the voting results, he does feel better informed by reading the comments. He heads to the store with confidence, now knowing which questions to ask of the store's salesmen.

Persona 3: Gertrude is a 31-year-old female fashion designer. She has worked with a major tailoring retailer for years, and finds herself constantly called upon to offer fashion advice. With the advent of PK3k, Gertrude has an easier time providing quick advice to her friends. With a glance at the two types of shoes they're deciding between, or questions of what color to wear for an evening out, she can give her feedback with a single button press. Her friends awe always grateful for her input, and her ability to fit in advice on her own time makes the service far more useful than traditional phone calls or urgent texts.

Task Analysis

All of these tasks are from the point of view of the user. We have divided our tasks into Major tasks (which are directly linked to the functionality of the website, such as creating a poll) and Minor tasks (which are more administrative, such as the creation of a user profile).

Major Tasks

1. Create a poll between two items
   • Goal: User would like to set up a poll so that people can vote between them to help inform the user's decision.
   • Precondition: User can't decide between two items. This could be where to go for dinner, what to watch, which shoes to buy, etc. This user also needs to be near a computer or a smartphone with internet. User must be logged in for this.
   • Subtasks:
     1. Describe the two items using a name and/or image and/or description
     2. Describe the context in which the decision is being made. (User is trying to save money, user wants people to vote based on overall traits, etc)
     3. Set a time limit on when voting ends
     4. Finish creating poll
2. Follow up with a poll
   • Goal: User would like to follow up with a poll so that the user can view the complete results and inform people of his or her final decision. If the poll has not yet completed, the user may want to close it before the time limit expires because the user has made a decision in real life.
   • Precondition: User has created a poll that has finished, or has an existing poll they would like to close.
   • Subtasks:
     1. Be able to view voting results for this newly-created poll as the poll goes on
     2. Optional: Close the poll early
     3. Receive a notification when the poll ends, with a summary of results
     4. After the decision has been made in real life, user selects which option they ultimately decided on to give feedback to the voters
3. Vote on a poll
   • Goal: User wants to vote on a poll that has been created so that the user can be a part of other users' decisions (or so that the user can procrastinate and put off doing his or her pset).
   • Precondition: User is bored and/or feeling helpful and is near a computer or a smartphone with internet. User must be logged in for this.
   • Subtasks: 
     1. Find a poll to vote on, either through a search (on poll traits such as item names, time remaining, number of votes so far) or randomized listing
     2. Select one of the two items in the poll
     3. Optional: Add a comment to go along with the vote
     4. Submit the vote
     5. View a summary of how the votes have been cast thus far
4. Search and browse polls
   • Goal: User wants to search and browse through completed polls so that the user can make a decision about items in an existing previous poll without having to remake a new poll. Also, the user would like to search and browse polls to see what people are comparing. For instance, if the user is trying to find movies similar to Lord of the Rings (LotR), the user can search for polls with LotR to see what it is being compared to.
   • Precondition: User is near a computer with internet and is curious about a specific item or topic, whether because they are trying to make a decision or because they are trying to find similar items. User does not need to be logged in for this.
   • Subtasks:
     1. Enter search queries, which may include a search on the name/description of the items, total number of votes, etc.
     2. View results listing the items in the poll along with a summary of results
     3. View the comments for a given side of a poll
     4. View statistics about a particular item (For instance, how often items with names matching "iPhone" have been voted for and against, how many polls have been created with that item name, a list of other items that have been popular contenders, etc)

Minor Tasks

1. Create a user profile and log in
   • Goal: User wants to create a user profile and log in so that the user can vote on polls and create polls.
   • Precondition: User is near a computer or a smartphone with internet and has the desire to use this website.
   • Subtasks:
     1. Enter required information (username, email and password for creation of account and then only username/password or email/password for logging in)
     2. Submit information and log in
     3. Change password if desired
2. Reset password
   • Goal: User would like to reset his or her password so that the user can log in if they forget the password. 
   • Precondition: User is near a computer or a smartphone with internet and has forgotten his or her password. The user must already have an existing account.
   • Subtasks:
     1. Enter username or email
     2. Submit and receive an email that the password has been changed
3. Change user password
   • Goal: User would like to change his or her password so that they can (hopefully) increase the security of their account.
   • Precondition: User is near a computer or a smartphone with internet and would like to change his or her password. The user must already have an existing account.
   • Subtasks:
     1. Enter old password
     2. Enter new password
     3. Submit to change password