Conceptual Model and Lexicon
Conceptual Model
The conceptual model encapsulates what users want from the process at a high level. These wants are listed below in no particular order.
- Efficient Mass Personalization – large number of mailings are customized for the recipients
- Accurate Information – users want to make sure that the personalized information is accurate
- Recipient Selection – sending mailings only to the desired recipients
- Distribution Preparation – last steps before sending out the mailing
- Uniform Communication – the ‘static’ portion of a mailing
Lexicon
The lexicon defines the concept model in terms that the user thinks or says. The numbers in the following glossary of terms relate the users' language to the higher level conceptual model.
- Address Label (4) – used to send letters to desired recipient; personalized for formality
- Check / Cleanup (2) – using the preview to find and correct problems in the letters/emails before they are sent out
- Cut & Paste (2) – rearranging information in a database to set it up for a mail merge
- Database (2) – place where accurate information is stored; needed for personalization
- Duplicate (2) – multiple results for one record, which usually results from a poor database
- Edit (2) – to change the database or email letter
- Email (5) – an electronic message sent to people through computers
- Field (1) – a personalized area in a document
- Filter (3) – a method to quickly select who a message is addressed to
- Insert (1) – putting a field into the document
- Letter (5) – a physical message sent to people over mail
- Matching (1) – lining up the right label with the right information
- Mail merge (1, 5) – sending a personalized letter to a large number of people
- Mailhouse (1, 4) – a shop that performs a mail merge on letters, prints them and them sends out
- Preview (2) – the ability to see the results of a mail merge before sending out the actual email or letter
- Print (4) – process of putting on paper all the personalized letters
- Record (1, 2, 3) – information tied to a single person in the database
- Report (3) – a method of generating the database needed for a mail merge
- Sort/Group (4) – arrange letters according to numerical or alphabetical order (sorting) or according to a logical or natural order (grouping)
- Time (1, 4) – a precious resource that should not be wasted