# Tutorial 08: Initialize Your Scenario

**Hands-on guide to starting a design scenario with the 5 essential questions**

---

## Overview

This tutorial walks you through initializing a scenario - the moment where strategic thinking meets design execution.

**Time:** 30-45 minutes  
**Prerequisites:** Trigger map completed  
**What you'll create:** A fully initialized scenario ready for sketching

---

## What You'll Learn

- The 5 questions that define every scenario
- How to connect scenarios to triggers
- Setting clear success criteria
- Defining scope and constraints
- Getting AI support for scenario planning

---

## The 5 Essential Questions

Every scenario must answer:

1. **WHO** is this for? (Target group)
2. **WHAT** trigger brings them here? (Trigger moment)
3. **WHY** does this matter? (User + business value)
4. **WHAT** is the happy path? (Success flow)
5. **WHAT** could go wrong? (Edge cases)

---

## Step 1: Choose Your Scenario (5 min)

### What is a scenario?

A specific user journey from trigger moment to successful outcome.

### How to choose:

**From your trigger map, select:**

- Highest priority trigger
- Clear start and end points
- Manageable scope for first design

**Example (Dog Week):**

```
Scenario: Morning Dog Care Assignment
Trigger: Morning chaos - nobody knows who's walking the dog
Priority: #1 (highest impact)
Scope: From opening app to seeing today's assignments
```

**Your turn:**

```
Scenario Name: [Your scenario]
Trigger: [From trigger map]
Priority: [Why this one first]
Scope: [Start → End]
```

---

## Step 2: Answer Question 1 - WHO? (5 min)

### Define your target user

**Be specific:**

- Which target group?
- What's their context?
- What's their mindset?
- What are they trying to accomplish?

**Example (Dog Week):**

```
WHO: Sarah, busy parent with family dog

Context:
- Monday morning, 7:15 AM
- Getting kids ready for school
- Needs to coordinate dog care
- Stressed, time-pressured

Mindset:
- Wants quick answer
- Needs certainty
- Values family harmony
- Cares about dog's wellbeing

Goal:
- Know who's walking the dog today
- Avoid family conflict
- Ensure dog is cared for
```

**Your turn:**

```
WHO: [User name/persona]

Context:
- [When/where]
- [What they're doing]
- [Their situation]

Mindset:
- [How they feel]
- [What they value]
- [What they need]

Goal:
- [Primary objective]
```

**AI Support:**

```
Agent: "Let's make this user vivid:
- What's their emotional state?
- What just happened before this moment?
- What are they worried about?
- What would success feel like?"
```

---

## Step 3: Answer Question 2 - WHAT Trigger? (5 min)

### Define the trigger moment

**Be specific about:**

- Exact moment user realizes they need this
- What caused the trigger
- Emotional state at trigger
- What they've tried before

**Example (Dog Week):**

```
WHAT Trigger: Morning Chaos

Exact Moment:
- 7:15 AM, Monday morning
- Kids asking "Who's walking Max?"
- Nobody knows the answer
- Everyone looking at each other

What Caused It:
- No clear schedule visible
- Verbal agreements forgotten
- Weekend disrupted routine
- New week starting

Emotional State:
- Frustration (here we go again)
- Guilt (dog needs care)
- Stress (running late)
- Urgency (need answer NOW)

Previous Attempts:
- Family calendar (too general)
- Group chat (messages lost)
- Verbal agreements (forgotten)
- Whiteboard (not mobile)
```

**Your turn:**

```
WHAT Trigger: [Trigger name]

Exact Moment:
- [When/where]
- [What's happening]
- [What prompted need]

Emotional State:
- [How user feels]
- [Why it matters]

Previous Attempts:
- [What they've tried]
- [Why it didn't work]
```

---

## Step 4: Answer Question 3 - WHY? (10 min)

### Define the value

**Two perspectives:**

**User Value:**

- What pain does this solve?
- What does success feel like?
- What changes in their life?

**Business Value:**

- How does this support business goals?
- What metrics improve?
- What's the strategic importance?

**Example (Dog Week):**

```
WHY - User Value:

Pain Solved:
- No more morning chaos
- No more family conflict
- No more guilt about dog
- Certainty and peace of mind

Success Feels Like:
- "I know exactly who's doing what"
- "My family is coordinated"
- "My dog is cared for"
- "I can focus on my morning"

Life Change:
- Reduced daily stress
- Better family harmony
- Confident dog care
- More mental space

WHY - Business Value:

Business Goals Supported:
- Increased daily active users (checking schedule)
- Higher retention (solving real pain)
- Word-of-mouth growth (visible benefit)
- Foundation for premium features

Metrics Improved:
- DAU (daily schedule checks)
- 7-day retention rate
- Task completion rate
- NPS score

Strategic Importance:
- Core value proposition
- Differentiation from competitors
- Foundation for entire platform
- Proves product-market fit
```

**Your turn:**

```
WHY - User Value:
Pain Solved:
- [Pain points addressed]

Success Feels Like:
- [User emotions]

Life Change:
- [What improves]

WHY - Business Value:
Business Goals:
- [Goals supported]

Metrics:
- [What improves]

Strategic Importance:
- [Why this matters]
```

---

## Step 5: Answer Question 4 - Happy Path? (10 min)

### Define the success flow

**Map the ideal journey:**

- User starts at trigger
- Takes clear actions
- System responds appropriately
- User achieves goal
- Mutual success achieved

**Example (Dog Week):**

```
HAPPY PATH: Morning Dog Care Check

1. TRIGGER
   - Sarah opens app (7:15 AM Monday)
   - Feeling stressed, needs quick answer

2. IMMEDIATE ANSWER
   - App shows TODAY view by default
   - Sarah's tasks highlighted
   - "You: Walk Max (8:00 AM)"
   - Clear, immediate, no searching

3. FULL CONTEXT
   - Sees all today's dog tasks
   - Knows who's doing what
   - Sees upcoming tasks
   - Feels confident and informed

4. QUICK ACTION (if needed)
   - Can mark task complete
   - Can reassign if emergency
   - Can add notes
   - Takes < 30 seconds

5. SUCCESS
   - Sarah knows her responsibility
   - Tells family with confidence
   - Dog will be cared for
   - Morning proceeds smoothly

MUTUAL SUCCESS:
- User: Stress reduced, clarity achieved
- Business: Daily engagement, value delivered
```

**Your turn:**

```
HAPPY PATH: [Scenario name]

1. TRIGGER
   - [User starts]
   - [Emotional state]

2. [Step 2]
   - [What happens]
   - [User sees/does]

3. [Step 3]
   - [Next action]
   - [System response]

[Continue through success]

MUTUAL SUCCESS:
- User: [What they gain]
- Business: [What we gain]
```

**AI Support:**

```
Agent: "Let's optimize this flow:
- Can we reduce steps?
- Is anything unclear?
- What information is missing?
- How can we make this faster?"
```

---

## Step 6: Answer Question 5 - What Could Go Wrong? (5 min)

### Identify edge cases

**Consider:**

- First-time users
- Error states
- Missing data
- Unusual situations
- System failures

**Example (Dog Week):**

```
EDGE CASES:

First Time User:
- No schedule exists yet
- Show onboarding flow
- Guide schedule creation

No Tasks Today:
- Show "No dog tasks today"
- Show upcoming tasks
- Offer to add tasks

Multiple Dogs:
- Show dog selector
- Default to primary dog
- Remember last selected

Overdue Tasks:
- Highlight in red
- Show notification
- Offer to reassign

Offline:
- Show cached schedule
- Indicate offline mode
- Queue actions for sync

Someone Else's Phone:
- Show family view
- Highlight their tasks
- Respect privacy
```

**Your turn:**

```
EDGE CASES:

[Case 1]:
- [Situation]
- [How to handle]

[Case 2]:
- [Situation]
- [How to handle]

[Continue for major cases]
```

---

## Step 7: Document Scenario Initialization (5 min)

**Create file:** `C-Scenarios/[scenario-name]/00-scenario-init.md`

**Include all 5 questions:**

1. WHO - Target user in context
2. WHAT Trigger - Specific moment
3. WHY - User + business value
4. Happy Path - Success flow
5. Edge Cases - What could go wrong

**Use template from:** `workflows/4-ux-design/templates/scenario-init.template.md`

---

## What You've Accomplished

✅ **Clear target user** - You know WHO you're designing for  
✅ **Specific trigger** - You know WHAT brings them here  
✅ **Defined value** - You know WHY this matters  
✅ **Success flow** - You know the HAPPY PATH  
✅ **Edge cases** - You know WHAT could go wrong

**You're ready to start sketching!**

---

## Next Steps

**Immediate:**

- Review initialization with stakeholders
- Validate assumptions with users (if possible)
- Gather any missing information

**Next Module:**

- [Module 09: Sketch Interfaces](../module-09-sketch-interfaces/module-09-overview.md)
- Start drawing your solution with AI guidance

---

## Common Questions

**Q: How detailed should the happy path be?**  
A: Detailed enough to guide sketching. 5-8 steps is typical.

**Q: Should I document every possible edge case?**  
A: Focus on the most likely and most impactful. You can add more during design.

**Q: What if I don't know all the answers yet?**  
A: Mark sections as "TBD" and research. Better to identify gaps now than during development.

**Q: Can I change these answers later?**  
A: Yes! This is a living document. Update as you learn.

---

## Tips for Success

**DO ✅**

- Be specific about user context
- Connect to trigger map
- Define clear success criteria
- Consider edge cases early
- Get stakeholder alignment

**DON'T ❌**

- Rush through the questions
- Skip the "why"
- Ignore edge cases
- Work in isolation
- Start sketching without initialization

---

**A well-initialized scenario is half the design work done!**

[← Back to Module 08](module-08-overview.md) | [Next: Module 09 →](../module-09-sketch-interfaces/module-09-overview.md)
