Chapter 4 Finding out about tasks and work

Describing Users’ Work Goals, Tasks, and Actions Task Characteristics: The Nature of the Work Task Sequences: There May Be More Than One Way to Do a Task UIDE Chapter 4

Goals, Tasks, Actions Goal: the end result to be achieved Task: structured set of related activities that are undertaken in some sequence Action: an individual operation or step that needs to be undertaken as part of the task. UIDE Chapter 4

Goals, Tasks, Actions UIDE Chapter 4

Task Characteristics Variety of tasks Frequency of tasks Knowledge and skill required Environmental factors Time critical Safety hazards Will user work alone or with others User normally switches between several tasks UIDE Chapter 4

Task Analysis Granularity – levels of detail Work-flow UIDE Chapter 4

Describing Users’ Work Task Analysis Clues for Improving Design: Problems and Difficulties with the Current UI Techniques for Task Analysis Describing How to Do It: Scenarios and Use Cases Cognitive Task Analysis: Moving from Scenarios and Use Cases to Cognitive Walkthrough UIDE Chapter 4

Task Analysis Clues for Improving Design: Problems and Difficulties with the Current UI Analyze errors Find “work arounds” Observe job aids, reference manuals, etc. Artifacts – orject or aid UIDE Chapter 4

Techniques for Task Analysis Describe what is to be done Describe how a user does the task UIDE Chapter 4

Concrete Use Case UIDE Chapter 4

Essential Use Case UIDE Chapter 4

Cognitive Walk-Through “Evaluates the steps required to perform a task and attempts to uncover mismatches between how the users think about a taks and how the UI designer thinks about the task” UIDE Chapter 4

Remote Produce a “Cognitive Walkthrough” of a TV or other remote control you may have at home. From “Turn ON” Actions in between To “Turn OFF” See pp 73-75 UIDE Chapter 4

Mental Models Structural Models Functional Models Structural versus Functional Models The Utility of Mental Models in HCI UIDE Chapter 4

Environmental Considerations: Where Is This Work Done? The Physical Environment: Is This a Pleasant Place to Be? The Safety Environment: Is This a Safe Place to Be? The Social Environment: Do People Help Each Other? UIDE Chapter 4

Environmental Considerations: Where Is This Work Done? The Organizational Environment: Does Management Support This Work? The User Support Environment Consideration of Environmental Aspects and How They Affect Design UIDE Chapter 4