Last night I went to my first ever Lacrosse game, courtesy of my Dad (thanks Dad!). I realized, as I sat there attempting to figure out what Lacrosse was and how it works, that I was in exactly the same position as users are when they use an application for the first time. I knew what it was supposed to be about, but I didn’t know how it worked or how things could be accomplished. By the end of the match I had a basic understanding of what it was about, but I didn’t have an understanding of all of the rules (especially the more complicated ones)… yet I was still happy with my experience! How did I figure out so much about the sport, and what can I learn about users through my own experiences last night?

The most confusing bit of sitting down to watch a game you don’t know is that you have no idea what can be accomplished, and how. I found myself employing a couple different methods to try to figure this out:

Relating it to other games that I did know – Whenever I observed something, like the shot clocks or a yellow flag, I related them to other sports that I was aware of. The scoring was like hockey, but there were shot clocks like basketball, reviews like football, and diving like soccer. Having an understanding of other sports gave me the ability to create a mental model about the sport by weaving together ideas about other sports.

What can we learn? Perhaps users do the same when they use a new program, and attempt to relate different aspects to other similar programs. If we make aspects of our programs function and look like more familiar applications, users may have an easier time guessing how to use it. On the other hand, if applications look like other applications but do not function in a similar manner, users might get very confused. Similarly, we have to make sure we don’t fall into the trap of creating applications with a similar look/feel of another application but slightly different outcomes because users may never notice the difference!

Trial and Error – I found myself making  up rules that seemed plausible, and then testing them out. I made some guesses about when players were and weren’t allowed within the area areoundthe net, and then watched the game to see if my rule held true. If the rule held true I kept it, and if it was proven wrong I attempted to either edit it slightly, or completely rewrite it.

What can we learn? Users also make up rules about what different aspects of an application do, and use their interaction with the application to evaluate their rule. If we make sure that the outcome of an action is obvious, it will be easier for users to edit their rules.

The key is GOOD help

Asking Questions - When all else failed, I asked questions to people who seemed to know what was going on. Even though their explanations didn’t always make sense, this was a far faster way to generate a deeper understanding.

What can we learn? Users may just want to ask questions. Although the best design is one that every user can understand without any help, sometimes it’s just not possible. In the end, the quality of help can make a big difference in the experience that a user has with yo

Ultimate Understanding – I didn’t actually leave the game with a complete and in depth knowledge of the game of lacrosse, but I learned enough to be able to follow the game and enjoy watching it.

What can we learn? New users just need to be able to figure out how to do what they want to do. They don’t need to immediately understand all of the complex functions available to them, or all of the expert ways to do them. It is more important that the user can accomplish what they set out to do.

We can learn a lot about how users learn about designs just from knowing what strategies people employ while learning, in any setting. Really, we use the same methods no matter what we’re figuring out. Sports is just one example of how user experience can be seen in areas other than interface design.

The biggest take-home lesson? A fun experience can override confusion or misunderstanding. I don’t understand Lacrosse, but I’m now a fan… GO ROCK GO!