Multi-user Wireframe (2)
09 Apr
I’m searching for the best way to create wire-frames to show multi-user interactions.
I’m designing a mobile application where users use their mobile phone together at the same time and in the same room. The problem here is, do I create one wire-frame flow-chart (wire-flow) per user or do I combine them into one?
I’m trying to prevent total chaos by doing something like this: http://wireframes.linowski.ca/2009/10/multiuser-wireflows/
And thinking about some sort of time-line on the horizontal axis.
Quick sketch: http://sht.tl/EJ2tG
Where every box is an interface or part of an interface. This way I can show simultaneous interactions, without sending the reader to a different wire-flow.
When an area is left blank, the user isn’t doing anything or just watching the (re)actions of what the other users are doing.
Has someone had any experience with this sort of wire-framing / flow-charting?
Response van webmaster van wireframes.linowski.ca
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Hey Ruud,
Here are my quick thoughts on what you have started showing. From your diagram it seems like the 3 users are doing something in parallel but independent of each other (ex. there is no interaction between user 1 and 2). Is that really so? Here is another sample of an attempt to convey person to person interactions http://wireframes.linowski.ca/2009/02/sketching-alternative-and-social-activities/ (it’s not perfect, but just another idea).
My general feel is that if you go with linear representations it becomes easier to consume and understand them. Whereas showing a mix of non-linear paths, at times could be slightly more confusing (but interesting as well). One way to combat the more complex non-linear, multi person interactions, would be to break them apart and organize them by scenarios or situations. Say, one situation is “registration” where user 1, 2 do something together. Another situation would be Y, where user 1, 2 and 3 interact, and so on.
Personally I prefer creating deliverables that unify and merge all such things as scenarios + flowcharts + wireframes and at the same time convey the narrative and interactions. This way I find it easier to manage when new iterations or changes have to come about. For this reason I began experimenting with an interactive sketching notation:
http://wireframes.linowski.ca/2009/10/interactive-sketching-notation-v0-1/
http://wireframes.linowski.ca/2010/02/tablet-illustrator-and-the-case-for-electronic-sketching/
Hope this helps?
Cheers,
Jakub
ps. I’d love to see your final deliverable and perhaps share it online with the rest? Looks like you’re onto something new.
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