(Illustrated above) A scientist launches her new analysis application for the first time and is presented with a set of interactive tutorials, each of which highlights one of several uses of the product. She selects an option that matches her clinical research goals and navigates through a well produced introductory tour.

An architect who has never used a building modeling application is anxious about making the switch from a more traditional CAD approach. The new tool presents a series of contextual training features, which allow her to learn about specific options at her own pace.

A financial trader accesses a new version of his trading application and is presented with an option to view what has been updated in the latest release. From this quick, informative overview, he knows which new features he wants to try and which ongoing issues have been fixed.

What domain knowledge, existing skills, learned interaction expectations, and other background will targeted individuals likely bring to their early interactions with your team’s product?

What big picture gaps might exist — at the overall level of your envisioned application concepts — between what workers already know and what they may need to know in order to have positive user experiences with your offerings?

What learning gaps might your team identify for each of your foundational functionality concepts?

What larger design trends and advanced analogies to other products and domains could influence your ideas about “out of the box” instructional experiences?

What conventional design patterns for early tutorials and topical “crash courses” might your team consider using?

What initial instruction concepts might you envision to provide an overview of your product’s intended role in workers’ practices?

What targeted concepts might you sketch with the goal of bridging specific, well characterized learning gaps?

What emotive and brand implications might your team focus on while exploring concepts for introductory experiences?

What media formats and visual approaches could appropriately represent certain types of instructional content in clear and engaging ways?

How might users’ experiences with initial instruction offerings generate interest and instill confidence in your computing tool?

How might your concepts for initial instruction provide a foundation for, and potentially tie into, your other, more persistent user assistance options?

What interaction pathways could flow out of introductory experiences? How might users test new learnings through direct, constructive experimentation within your computing tool?

Do you have enough information to usefully answer these and other envisioning questions? What additional research, problem space models, and design concepting could valuably inform your team’s application envisioning efforts?