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For this assignment we have chosen to conduct an interaction inquiry on how the current wifi facilities are being used among the students at Ipswich campus UQ,
As UQ ITS is interested in expanding wifi coverage around the Ipswich campus, we needed to find out how the current network was being used and where the greatest demand for it currently is. In order to do this we needed to establish who exactly our so called “users” are and what their social routines and work habits are.

The Ipswich campus has a wide range of Wi-fi hotspots, located in both internal and external areas on the campus. Wireless connections can be currently connected from the library, refectory and Buildings 1, 2 and 12 as indicated on the campus map. (map) Students, of the Ipswich campus are our main focus for this inquiry, however it is noted that other staff are obvious users of such technologies and as such will be taken into account.

As a team we have chosen to conduct our inquiry using the following methods:
Informal and contextual interviews. Personas and scenarios.

Interviews give designers the opportunity to question users on a one-on-one basis. The technique allows users to not only receive responses to their pre-ordained inquiries, but gives them the opportunity to ask follow-up questions. We have done semi-structured interviews (as opposed to structured interviews) so that the flexibility these allow will give us the opportunity for new ideas and topics that we may not ordinarily have envisioned when considering the user requirements.
We approached students who we noticed were using Wi-Fi around the Ipswich campus, as well as the general student body, who were in the same areas but not specifically using that technology.
In using methods such as interviewing, probes or participatory design, it is important to make the person(s) feel at easy and reassured that they are free to leave when they wish. It was initially difficult to find users who were able to take the 15 minutes to participate in the study, though the offer of a free drink helped considerably.

Personas naturally fit in with the other chosen methods: interviews and scenarios, and can be seen as the middle step in our interaction inquiry. The construction of our personas will be based on the information gathered during the interviewing phase. When enough data is collected we will aim at developing 3-5 different personas or casts, which will then be used as a basis for our scenario construction.
A persona is a fictional character that can be used by interaction designers as a design tool. Personas are given a name, age, sex and often include some family background and occupational information. The aim is to try to replicate a precise image of what a typical user/s will be and by doing so, help designers to focus their attention on specific needs and goals. This benefits will us as a team as a whole as it provides a shares basis for communication. .
In order to effectively establish our personas are we need to find out more about who the users are that use the wifi connections around Ipswich campus by conducting a series of contextual interviews and general observations. These personas reflect the data found during the observation/interview phase and observational anecdotes used where possible, as this will help the fleshing of the characters out.

Scenarios are the descriptions of how users interact with a system. Scenarios are important when designing for users as they can be used to predict how different personas will interact with the system from the user’s perspective. For the Wi-fi Hotspots inquiry, using the scenario method is suitable as it helps explore all the possible aspects of interaction.