Kopete/User Research Profile

Project User Research Profile

Kopete is an instant messenger supporting AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, Jabber, IRC, Gadu-Gadu, Novell GroupWise Messenger, and more. It is designed to be a flexible and extensible multi-protocol system suitable for personal and enterprise use.

Who is the application for?

• List of types (groups) of users
• User groups can be organized based on any type of dimension
• Some groups may be broken down in to sub groups

(Who is the application not for)

• Sometimes it is easy to identify who the application is not for
• This can help keep the scope of the project under control

Sample User Profiles

User Profile 1: For each group of users identified (or primary groups, or particularly special groups if many groups are defined), write a description of that user's characteristics based on a real user you know.

What kinds of tasks will they complete

• List of common tasks users will complete
• This does not have to be a complete functional specification, but major tasks and specialty tasks should be listed
• Include functionality that is planned but not yet implemented to help keep the future in focus

(What kinds of functionality will the application not support)

• List tasks or functionality the application will not address
• Sometimes it is useful to list this unintended functionality to help keep the scope of the application
• For example, a certain functionality may not be implemented because it is out of scope with the primary goals of the project, another application with a different focus does it better, or it is an extreme edge case for a user type which is not primary

Sample Use Scenarios and Cases

Use Scenario 1: For each task identified (or major tasks, or particularly special tasks if many tasks are defined), write a description of how that user would accomplish the task independent of how they would complete it within the application.

Use Case 1: If a use scenario has been implemented, include a matching use case which describes how the task use scenario can be completed in the application. There may be branching or multiple ways to complete the task, and this is a good way to document it.

Environment Conditions & Requirements

• List of environmental conditions for the user or the application to consider
• For example, an Internet-capable application would require an Internet connection