LAZY USER MODEL

This was formed in 2007 which explains the process of selection of a solution by an
individual to fulfill some need or address a problem. This solution is derived from
various solutions and the main aim of the user is to select the most effort-less solution.
This model is closely related to TAM and to the UTAUT.

The model starts from the fact that there is a ‘need’, it could be in form of a problem or
some obstacle the user would like to overcome. To satisfy his need, he needs a
solution, so a set of possible solutions is defined accordingly. In those set of solutions,
there are some which are suitable for the user and some inappropriate depending on
the characteristics of the user itself, this is known as the user state which limits the
solutions accordingly. The user state is determined by external factors such as age of
user, wealth, status, and perhaps even location. After the set is limited to the variances
accordingly, the solution with the least amount of effort is taken into consideration, this
is also known as cost which consists of financial cost, time, physical and mental effort.

Let us discuss an everyday example, suppose that a husband would like to contact his
wife from a foreign country that he is visiting, the problem here is that he does not know
which means to contact her as it is very expensive to call and he has not much money
on him. The model shows the various solutions possible.
 Wants to
contact wife
Selection of
Call
solution based
SMS
on the lowest
a) “Has little Email
balance level of effort
Skype
in phone
Take a flight back

b) “Has little
balance in wallet”

There are two user states here, a) “Has little balance in phone” b) “has little balance in
wallet”

In the user state, the user choices that offer the least effort are SMS, and email/skype.
This depends on the location of the user; is there a cyber café located nearby, or any
form of internet service if he has a laptop? As (b) suggests he might have not enough
money in his wallet, which defeats the purpose of going to a cyber café. The other factor
is that how much balance he has left in his phone, assuming he has a phone and a local
line. According to effort, finding a cyber café would be most difficult, but if assuming he
has enough balance, then SMS would be the one with least effort.