Developing a mental model, particularly in the context of understanding user behavior or a domain, typically involves a structured research and synthesis process to map out people's thoughts, needs, and motivations related to a specific subject.
Based on the provided reference, developing a mental model follows a six-step process:
The Six Steps to Developing a Mental Model
Creating a comprehensive mental model involves systematic planning, data collection, analysis, and visualization. Here are the key steps:
Step 1 — Scope the Study
As with any research study, start by defining your scope. Clearly identify the subject area, the audience you will research, and the goals you hope to achieve with the mental model. This step ensures your research is focused and relevant.
Step 2 — Do the Research
Gather the necessary data. Typically for a mental model diagram you'll run 1-on-1 interviews to get the data. These interviews aim to uncover people's tasks, thoughts, feelings, and motivations related to the scoped area. Other research methods might also be used depending on the context.
Step 3 — Summarise the Data
After collecting data from interviews or other sources, summarise it. This involves transcribing interviews and extracting relevant statements, observations, and insights. The goal is to create a structured collection of raw data points.
Step 4 — Synthesise Insights
Synthesise insights from the summarised data. This is where you look for patterns, themes, and relationships across the individual data points. Group similar thoughts, tasks, or needs together to start forming higher-level concepts. Affinity mapping is a common technique used here.
Step 5 — Assess the Results
Review and assess the synthesized insights. Validate the themes and patterns against the raw data and the original research goals. Ensure the insights accurately reflect the participants' perspectives and behaviors. This step helps refine the model before visualization.
Step 6 — Visualise the Model
The final step is to visualise the model. This often involves creating a diagram where the synthesized insights (often grouped under "towers" of related concepts or tasks) are mapped against the users' mental space or phases of their journey. The visualisation makes the complex relationships and insights understandable and actionable.
Summary Table
| Step | Action | Description | Primary Method (as per reference) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scope the Study | Define the research area, audience, and objectives. | Planning |
| 2 | Do the Research | Collect data from the target audience. | 1-on-1 interviews |
| 3 | Summarise the Data | Transcribe and extract raw data points from research. | Data Extraction/Summarisation |
| 4 | Synthesise Insights | Find patterns and themes in the summarised data. | Affinity Mapping/Grouping |
| 5 | Assess the Results | Validate and refine the synthesized insights. | Review & Validation |
| 6 | Visualise the Model | Create a visual representation of the mental landscape. | Diagram Creation |
By following these steps, researchers and designers can develop a detailed understanding of how users think and behave, which is invaluable for informing design, strategy, and communication.
