Abstract:

As information service production is performed in short bursts, conventional approaches frequently do not have enough time to produce a good user experience (UX). Lean UX and other types of UX both share the same aim in mind: to reach a better user interface. Typical questions that should be addressed in the UX concept sketching may include: Who are our users? For what is the product used? When is it used? What situations is it used in? What will be the most important functionality? What’s the biggest risk to product delivery? As opposed to designing products, services, and solutions based upon the preferences of the design team, it has become standard practice to collate research and personify certain trends and patterns in the data as personas. Personas are fictional characters, created based upon research in order to represent the different user types that might use service, product, site, or brand in a similar way. Creating personas can help to understand users’ needs, experiences, behaviours and goals.

This article presents the use of simulation method in teaching students basic concepts of IT service development, focusing specifically on defining customer profiles. The students were “acting” the employers of IT firm that is to develop new mobile, web or desktop application. One of the case study was to define characteristics of the customer which will be using this application. Students/employers were invited to use various methods, supported with different online tools, to describe customer profile as well as customer requirements.

Keywords:

IT service development, customer profile, persona.