1
Q
task analysis in context of interaction design
A
Find out who the users are
Find out what task they perform
** Create models of the task
Create scenarios of use
2
Q
What is task analysis
A
- analyse task hierarchy
2. investigate existing situation
3
Q
Why do TA?
A
- understand how users currently perform the task
- system must match user’s tasks
- system will fail if it doesn’t do what users want or conflicts with their goals (e.g. lack of closure)
4
Q
key activities in TA
A
- model the important tasks that the system will support
- identify goals
- identify actions to meet goals
- identify sequential dependencies
5
Q
Process for creating a task model
A
- task decomposition (high level tasks into lower level subtasks), show task flows, decision processes, screen layouts
- show sequencing of activities by ordering
top down – how is it done
bottom up – why is it done - identify task to analyse
- break down
- layered diagram
- decide on level to decompose to
- continue decomposition
- present to user to check for consistency
6
Q
Purpose of a task flow diagram
A
- document the details of specific tasks
- highlight areas that are poorly understood
- tasks carried out differently by different people
- users carry out tasks that are inconsistent with the higher level task structure imposed by the system
7
Q
Lack of closure
A
ATM cash/card
8
Q
Problems with letter sending + correct it
A
** cf with images *
9
Q
Use of task models in making comparisons of workflows
A
- number of steps
2. alternative steps
10
Q
cons of task models
A
- does not scale well to complex tasks which aren’t sequential
hard to model - fragmentation
- overlapping tasks
- learning / transition to more efficient methods
- communication/collaboration
- tends to concentrate on how things are already done
11
Q
pros of task models
A
- comparisons
2. identify problems early on e.g. lack of closure
Interaction Design
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