Animals and Food Foraging
In the wild, animals use scent to evaluate patches of wilderness, woods, fields, meadows in order to find food. Once they locate the scent of food, they begin an instinctive evaluation.
Scent can tell the animal about the "quality of food". This is an instinctive measure of the product.
- Is the scent of food strong or faint?
- Is the scent that of good food or poor food?
Scent can tell the animal about the "quality of patch". This is an instinctive measure of risk and effort.
- Is the patch close or far?
- Is the patch safe or is there present danger?
- Is the patch easy or difficult to harvest?
Instinctively, they crunch these variables to find the optimum food source.
Value of the food = Quality of Food + Quality of Patch.
Users and Information Foraging
Like animals, users use “scent” to evaluate search results and sites on the internet for the probability of information.
Quality of Information
- Do search results match the information they are seeking?
- Do the search results demonstrate the information in the title and description content?
- Which search results offer the information in the correct context?
- Example: "About Kayaking" vs "Best Kayaking Rivers" vs "Kayak Sale Now".
Quality of Site
- Is the site one they recognize or is it unfamiliar?
- Is the site a trustworthy site both for computer security and for trustworthy information?
- Is the information available immediately at the link or does the user have to mine several pages to find what they need?
Value of information = Quality of Information + Quality of Site.
When we talk about search results, we do not simply mean a google search. Searching for information can be simply evaluating a button to another page on a site. It can be an ad space or a sponsored product. Any time a user judges a link to information, they employ the Information Foraging equation to make the decision to click or not to click.
In order to create quality meta and keywords... quality page language, links and buttons... that lead our users to High Value Information, we must study our personas and user stories to create a good scent and a good foraging algorithm.
Foraging Theory demonstated using Persona
Competent Kathlene
(see Personas)
Kathlene needs fast cash.
She knows a little about payday and small personal loans.
She is familiar with Check Into Cash, along wtih other lenders but she is not an existing customer.
- She is worried about her financial needs
- She is worried about the cost of a small loan in interest rates and fees
- She is worried about the trustworthiness of the lender she chooses.
Kathlene is foraging for information that will make her confident that she can get a fast cash loan and won't regret the costs or the lending company.
Language
“Fast cash, Low Fees”
Speaks to easy and fast funds as well as affordable terms.
“We offer Affordable and Fast Cash for your needs”
Speaks to empathy, fast response, and low financial impact.
“Industry Leader in Low Impact Personal Loans”
Speaks to company trustworthiness, painless loans.
Imagery
Smiling person looking at their checkbook or bank statement.
Smiling person checking their phone.
Person with family, smiling, talking around dinner table or other family activity.
Person with responsibilities (mother, father, business person) being at ease.
Foraging Theory At-A-Glance
