Power User Analysis
Input: $ARGUMENTS
Step 1: Identify Power User Needs
Define what expert users require from this system.
SYSTEM: [what is being analyzed]
POWER USER PROFILE: [who are the expert users]
CORE POWER USER NEEDS:
Efficiency:
1. [need] — Current state: [met/unmet/partial]
2. [need] — Current state: [met/unmet/partial]
Customization:
1. [need] — Current state: [met/unmet/partial]
2. [need] — Current state: [met/unmet/partial]
Depth:
1. [need] — Current state: [met/unmet/partial]
2. [need] — Current state: [met/unmet/partial]
Control:
1. [need] — Current state: [met/unmet/partial]
2. [need] — Current state: [met/unmet/partial]
Step 2: Find Friction Points
Identify where expert users hit unnecessary resistance.
FRICTION POINTS:
1. [friction] — Frequency: [every time / often / sometimes]
Impact: [time wasted / flow broken / workaround needed]
Root cause: [designed for beginners / oversight / technical debt]
2. [friction] — Frequency: [frequency]
Impact: [impact]
Root cause: [cause]
SPEED BUMPS (minor annoyances that compound):
- [annoyance]: costs [time/clicks/context-switches] per occurrence
WALLS (things power users simply cannot do):
- [limitation]: forces users to [workaround or abandonment]
BEGINNER-OPTIMIZED FRICTION (helpful for novices, blocks experts):
- [feature/guard]: protects novices but slows experts — Fix: [progressive disclosure]
Step 3: Identify Missing Advanced Features
What do power users expect that doesn’t exist?
MISSING ADVANCED FEATURES:
1. [feature] — Why expected: [standard in domain / requested / obvious need]
Impact of absence: [what power users can't do]
Complexity to add: [HIGH/MED/LOW]
2. [feature] — Why expected: [reason]
Impact of absence: [limitation]
Complexity to add: [level]
MISSING SHORTCUTS:
- [operation] currently takes [N steps] — could be [fewer]
MISSING AUTOMATION:
- [repetitive task] that power users would want to automate
MISSING COMPOSABILITY:
- [feature A] and [feature B] can't be combined but should be
Step 4: Assess Advanced Learning Curve
How hard is it for someone to go from competent to expert?
LEARNING CURVE ASSESSMENT:
NOVICE → COMPETENT: [easy / moderate / hard] — Time: [estimate]
COMPETENT → ADVANCED: [easy / moderate / hard] — Time: [estimate]
ADVANCED → EXPERT: [easy / moderate / hard] — Time: [estimate]
KNOWLEDGE CLIFFS (sudden jumps in required knowledge):
1. [cliff] — Between [level A] and [level B] — Barrier: [what's hard to learn]
HIDDEN FEATURES (powerful but undiscoverable):
1. [feature] — How to find it: [method] — Why hidden: [reason]
DOCUMENTATION GAPS FOR EXPERTS:
- [topic] lacks advanced documentation
- [topic] only covers basic usage
Step 5: Power User Satisfaction Score
POWER USER SCORECARD:
| Dimension | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|-----------|------------|-------|
| Efficiency | [score] | [detail] |
| Customization | [score] | [detail] |
| Depth | [score] | [detail] |
| Control | [score] | [detail] |
| Composability | [score] | [detail] |
| Advanced docs | [score] | [detail] |
OVERALL: [score] / 5
TOP POWER USER REQUEST: [the single most impactful improvement]
QUICK WINS: [changes that would most improve expert experience with least effort]
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. [action] — Addresses: [need] — Effort: [level]
2. [action] — Addresses: [need] — Effort: [level]
3. [action] — Addresses: [need] — Effort: [level]
Integration
Use with:
/nusr-> Compare power user needs against new user needs/usnd-> Validate power user needs with evidence/cdiff-> Check if power user features differentiate from competitors