ABC: Attention, Browsing, Commitment

Regulars here know the “streakers, strollers, scholars” framework. It helps tailor experiences to different attention spans.

Turns out, other industries have similar mental models. Here are some from UX you might find useful. (In my studio we make websites too.) Just replace “users” with “visitors”.

The first one appears in both worlds already — and has been seen here before too.

Skimmers, Swimmers, Divers:
Users range from quick skimmers, to engaged swimmers, to deeply involved divers seeking detailed information.

Skim, Read, Act:
Users are quick skimmers, thorough readers, or taking immediate action like clicking buttons.

Browsers, Evaluators, Transactors:
Users can be casual browsers, information-seeking evaluators, or action-ready transactors.

Lurkers, Contributors, Creators:
Categories include passive lurkers, active contributors, and content-generating creators.

Tourists, Evaluators, Missionaries:
Users are casual tourists, information-seeking evaluators, or passionate missionaries actively promoting you.

Read, Click, Convert:
Users read, then click on elements of interest, then convert (buying, signing up).

And my memorable favorite:

“ABC”: Attention, Browsing, Commitment:
Gaining attention, browsing content, then making a commitment of some kind.

Here’s the thing:
It’s smart to accommodate different engagement levels.

It’s even smarter to see how other industries do it.

They might be ahead of us.

Warmly,
Jonathan