Identifying iViews

How Can I Identify Potential iViews? | Which is a Useful iView, Which iView Does not Make Sense?

How Can I Identify Potential iViews?

The best way to identify potential iViews is to watch users at work and to study their behavior. A user's work place tells a lot about which information and transactions a user needs on a regular basis.

For example, a user may stick Post-Its along his or her monitor with the names of transactions or reports. Or he or she may stick such lists on the wall or put them elsewhere.

Generic vs. Role-specific iViews

Users also often use small tools, such as calculators, currency or unit converters, or reference books, such as dictionaries, address books, and phone directories. All these tools and information sources are possible candidates for iViews. Some of these tools are useful for many users; they may be offered as "generic iViews". Other tools may be specific to a certain role and thus are candidates for role-specific iViews.

Examples for generic iViews: Calendar, currency converter, calculator, notepad

Note: A list of possible generic iViews is presented in Generic iViews.

"Helper" iViews

In addition, watching the work practice may provide useful hints about which information the users needs in untypical situations in order to overcome errors or problems. Again, the tools and information sources may be candidates for iViews, even though these are rarely used.

Examples for Helper iViews: Emergency phone directory, personal code storage, instructions

Which is a Useful iView, Which iView Does not Make Sense?

Useful iViews

Any information or transaction that is used on a regular basis or that must be easily accessible in problem situations is a potentially useful iView. In addition, there are many pieces of information that users need every morning when they start work, every evening when they quit work, or in certain recurring situations.

Examples: Recurring tasks, startup tasks, finishing tasks, birthday reminder

Useless iViews

iViews that provide information or functionality that is only rarely used do not make sense.

Example: There is no point in creating an iView that is used for customizing a function once because the user needs such an iView only once and then never again.

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