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Act 1: Setup

• Ordinary World: It's a typical Friday morning. The protagonist begins their day expecting it to follow the usual routine, but things take an unexpected turn when the power is out, and their phone has no service.
• Inciting Incident: He discovers the problem isn’t just their home, but everyone else in the apartment complex is experiencing the same outage, and their phones are dead too. Confusion grows, and the world suddenly feels isolated, and disconnected.
• First Decision: Seeking answers, he heads to the police station only to find a chaotic scene. Crowds are demanding information, and the authorities are overwhelmed. Realising no one has answers, the protagonist is left with a difficult choice: should they head to work as normal or focus on gathering resources?

Act 2: Confrontation

• Rising Conflict: He tries to proceed with his day but finds the office empty. Deciding to gather supplies, they encounter massive crowds at grocery stores, where panic is taking over. Shelves are being emptied, and tensions are high. People are fighting for resources, and all societal rules are being broken.
• Turning Point: After securing basic supplies, he returns home to find his frozen food thawing, the refrigerator leaking, and the apartment feeling eerily quiet. Outside, the streets are in chaos. As night falls, he wonders if this is just a temporary glitch and tomorrow everything will be back to normal. 

Act 3: Resolution

• Climax: After witnessing growing unrest in the streets and hearing shouts he gathers his remaining supplies, securing his apartment and preparing to defend it if necessary. The once-peaceful neighbourhood now feels uncertain, and trust in others is gone for now.
• Final Decision: As the night goes on, he lights candles and reflects on what matters most — family, safety, and finding a way to reconnect with the world. The need for survival outweighs everything else, but they remain hopeful for a solution. ‍
• Conclusion: With a mixture of anxiety and hope, he prepares for the uncertain days to come, he grills some food and jumps in bed to prepare for tomorrow, even as the future remains uncertain.

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Nielsen From User To Character (3 Quotes)

Quote 1:

“The process of writing in the film script, the character has to be established on the first page of the script, she/he has to grasp the reader’s attention immediately so the reader will be encouraged to read on and be interested in what happens to the character.”

Response:

This quote highlights the importance of how characters are introduced in a screenplay. Getting a strong first impression of a character is crucial, not just for capturing the audience's attention, but also for setting the tone of the story. Since film relies so much on visual storytelling, that initial moment when a character is revealed can shape how emotionally invested the audience becomes. A well-crafted introduction hooks viewers in, making them eager to follow the character's journey. This idea also applies to scenario writing, where viewing the user as a "character" and introducing them thoughtfully can make the scenario more engaging and insightful, helping to better predict real-world behaviour.

Quote 2:

“Looking at the person’s physiology, sociology and psychology provides an understanding of the motivations that lie behind his actions.”

Response:

This quote emphasises how important it is to view characters as multi-dimensional, considering their physical traits, social background, and mental state. By doing this, writers can create characters that feel real and relatable, because their actions and motivations make sense within the world they live in. This deeper understanding makes it easier for audiences to connect with the characters, sharing in their ups and downs. When it comes to writing user scenarios, this same approach of looking at users from all angles leads to more realistic and detailed portrayals, helping scenarios better reflect how real people might behave and what they need.

Quote 3:

“Without this it will be impossible to be involved with the descriptions of users and scenarios.”

Response:

This quote emphasises the importance of creating good and realistic user personas when writing scenarios. If users are presented as simple stereotypes or one dimensional characters, the scenarios they are part of feel shallow and fail to truly engage. Without exploring the unique traits, motivations, and experiences of the users, there’s a disconnect between how they interact with the system and how the system responds. This wastes the entire scenario. By taking the time to build nuanced, diverse user profiles, writers can create more authentic scenarios that resonate better with both designers and end users. Ultimately, this approach leads to systems that are not only functional but also centred around the real needs and experiences of users, improving the overall user experience.

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