How much variation is there in user goals within our target population? See: There are individual differences between new users in their initial user goalsThere are individual differences between new users in their initial user goals
Different people come to the app for different reasons, searching for different information about how it relates to their struggles and goals. Ideally, they should be able to figure out quite quickly that The user has a high expectancy of success in using your software.
One of the products that I work with, GuidedTrack, is flexible in allowing for multiple different use cases. Some people come in wanting to build a prototype for an app, while others start with wanting to run an advanced onli...
How much variation is there in skill levels prior to beginning to use the app? Do their pre-existing mental models support a successful adoption, or do they need to learn/unlearn first? See: People start using an app with different prior skill levelsPeople start using an app with different prior skill levels
One of the companies I work with, GuidedTrack, is a simplified programming language that allows subject matter experts to create web applications, interactive slideshows, and experiments with no prior coding skill. Since it's all done through text rather than a GUI like Qualtrics or Google Forms, it speeds up program construction and gives it some extra power.
If someone starts using it with prior coding experience in any language, they probably already understand core concepts like "use ind... and New users do not yet have the vocabulary to understand the appNew users do not yet have the vocabulary to understand the app
Imagine that you are in a foreign country where you don't speak the language. You're hungry and you need to ask someone on the street where to buy some food. You don’t have the words to say it, but you can probably rub your stomach and people will know where to point you.
If the app has sufficiently unique features or design, then encountering those will be like hearing words from a foreign language. If the features or design are familiar carryovers from other products that people are used t...
To what degree do user goals change over time or remain static? See: User goals change over timeUser goals change over time
A user’s goals 1 week into using your app and 6 months are rarely the same. “Elder users” often won’t even retain the goals that they had at the start of their experience. Apps with continued user involvement enable the user to accomplish multiple goals to maintain users through full goal transitions.
New users do not yet have the vocabulary to understand the app. User skill level increases over time, giving the user new vocabulary to conceptualization and express desires that they didn’t ha... and Apps with continued user involvement respond to changing user goals over timeApps with continued user involvement respond to changing user goals over time
New users do not yet have the vocabulary to understand the app, but as User skill level increases over time, so does their vocabulary. They are able to conceptualize and express desires that they couldn’t express before, so User goals change over time. If the app can only handle the user's goals 2 weeks in but not 2 months in, then it can't expect the user's continued involvement.
This points to the importance of Continuous onboarding for Difficulty Matching. If the user's skill level doesn'...
To what degree must skill levels increase over time in order to accomplish changing user goals? See: User skill level increases over timeUser skill level increases over time
Imagine that you have just started to use Excel or Photoshop. Both of those apps have an insane amount of functionality, and it would be unreasonable to expect the user to understand what is possible and how to do it immediately. Over time, with continued User Involvement, they will simply grow more comfortable with the app.
The most successful app adoptions come from a project, because they give the user a reason to increase their skills. As they work on their projects, they'll bump up agai... and Continuous onboardingContinuous onboarding
Horizontal products like Notion, Airtable, Excel, and Obsidian are all powerful/flexible and require learning and expansion of use cases over time to wrap your head around them. Given that, why do they only teach people how to use the app for the first few minutes?
It's not just horizontal products though. Continuous Onboarding applies to most apps that aren't just "open, press a button, and close." Are you continuing to add features over time that would benefit users that are more than a mo...