NOTE: This is an abbreviated version of “Model Use in System and Product Design”. The complete article shows how the solution was presented to product management and developers via models, not screens.

Kindles originally shipped pre-provisioned with a data plan and integrated with the user’s Amazon account. To reduce costs, second-generation Kindles were going to ship without any pre-configuration. To complicate matters, users could choose models with either data and WiFi capabilities or WiFi only.

During the requirements gathering process I found that PM and Dev had only considered the happiest of paths: the user turns on their Kindle, connects to their network of choice, and logs into their existing Amazon account. There had been no consideration of error states such as:

1. The Kindle battery was drained

2. There was no available network

3. The user didn’t have an existing Amazon account

My team and I created a systems flow diagram for the out-of-box-experience (OOBE) that anticipated—and provided solutions for—all identified error states.