31. People Create Mental Models

People Create Mental Models

• 
• Legenda: “Thinker Thinking Person.” Pixabay, 11 Apr. 2012, pixabay.com/en/thinker-thinking-person-idea-28741/.
• You have never seen or heard of an iPad. You were handed one and told that you could read books on it. What are your thoughts?
• How will it look on the screen, how will it work, Is it same as a kindle? These type of questions are made from your mental model.
• Note the differentiation of the questions, not everyones mental model is the same.

What exactly is a mental model?

• A person's thought process of how something will work based on past experience, incomplete facts, and intuitive perceptions.
• Mental models help shape actions and behaviors, influence attention in complicated situations, define a persons approach to solve problems.
• Giphy (video/mp4)
• Legenda: “STEVEN UNIVERSE THINKING GIF.” Giphy, giphy.com/gifs/steven-universe-thinking-here-comes-a-thought-2xF8ihOYNJCG0iAXNU.

What is a mental model in design

• People will create mental models before using software or devices by predicting how systems, software, or products do, and how to do it.