Task Analysis Methods IST Oct

Example HTA Login – Select login screen – Enter ID – Enter password Choose objects – Browse listing – Select item Pay – Choose pay screen – Select payment method – Enter payment method details Plan: Task 1, then Taks 2 as many times as needed then Task Login 1.Select login screen 2.Enter ID 3.Enter password 2.Choose objects 1.Browse listing 2.Select item 3.Pay 1.Choose pay screen 2.Select payment method 3.Enter payment method details 4. Plan: Task 1, then Taks 2 as many times as needed then Task 3.

Example HTA 3 1.Login 1.Select Login screen 1.Move mouse to “ID” 2.Click mouse 2.Enter ID 1.Type ID 2.Enter “CR” 3.Enter Password 1a.Move mouse to “Password” OR 1b.Type “TAB” 2.Type val-of(Password) 3.Type 2.Choose Objects... Push the details as far as you need to, but not farther

Task Analysis Methods: Lots of task analysis methods None completely satisfactory How to get knowledge: Best solution is to employ a variety of methods – 1. Questionnaires and Interviews – 2. Observational studies/Contextual Inquiry – 3. Examination of competing or similar products – 4. Use unsolicited comments 4

Cognitive Task Analysis Focuses on what users already know Concerned with accurate mapping between representation of user’s knowledge and that required by system CTA used where operators are well trained Pays attention to how tasks are performed along with noting the tasks – e.g. “how long users will take to perform the tasks” 5 March 14 th, 2011

GOMS and KLM Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection rules – Like a program Keystroke-level model – Like a trace Both concerned more with details of how a small task is done Both can be applied back-of-the-envelope, and also in greatly detailed way Both make lots of suggestions, some applicable to higher level 6

7 Who? Identity? – In-house or specific customer is easy – Need several typical customers for broad product Background Skills Work habits and preferences Physical characteristics – Height? March 14 th, 2011

8 Talk to Them Find some real customers Talk to them – Find out what they do – How would your system fit in Are they too busy? – Buy their time T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. March 14 th, 2011

1/4. Questionnaires and interviews 9

Questionnaires & Interviews as a way to get TA information (1/6) Talk to a number of representative users Talk to key users Plan interview – Preset questions to address issues identified in advance – Always provide flexibility for users to add to your plan – Provide mechanism for recording data easily – Present quantitative results – Use the TA as a summary 10

Questionnaires & Interviews (2/6) Keep the number of questions low – Only questions with answers that you can’t get other ways – Only questions that will have a direct impact on functional requirements – Avoid asking for everything 11

Questionnaires & Interviews (3/6) When deciding to ask a question, always ask – Why is this question included? – How will I analyze results of this question? – Do I lose anything if I leave it out? – Do I have a better source for this information, e.g., can I find it by looking at logs? 12

Questionnaires & Interviews (4/6) Ask clear questions – Can the user understand your question? Ask questions that users can answer validly and reliably – Does the user store information in this way? – Does the user remember such information? – Will the user be inclined to answer your question truthfully? 13

Questionnaires & Interviews (5/6) If you need the answer, but users can’t give it to you, use another technique If a question won’t give the answer, look for the user leaving traces in the environment Respect users time and intelligence Always thank the user for the information 14

Questionnaires & Interviews (6/6) Do not take comments personally – you shouldn’t have a personal stake Goal is to make the system easy to use for your intended users 15

2/4. Observation Studies as a way to get TA information Iterative 16

Observational Studies (1/6) Describe and analyze current practice Note organization of functionality Note expectations and concerns of current users Solicit suggestions from users Collect quantitative data – How many? – How often? – How long? 17

Typical Observation Techniques (2/6) Task process study – Detailed steps in tasks performed by users recorded (e.g., RUI, video) Time geography study – Individual records times and changes in location of each individual throughout workday Tools study – Types of tools used by individual recorded – Task application, time and duration of tool usage also recorded 18

Typical Observation Techniques (3/6) Time diary – User log their use of time throughout day – Random recordings of time usage set off by beeper on watch Communication diary – User log each communication and purpose of communication Context Inquiry – Observer in context Better for higher level than lower level TA 19

Master-Apprentice model (4/6) Master–Apprentice model allows user to teach us what they do! – Master does the work and talks about it while working – Skill knowledge is usually tacit (can’t put it in books) – Studying many tasks, the designer can abstract away – Sometimes literal apprenticeship by analyst is best 20

Principles: interpretation (5/6) Good facts are only the starting point – designs based on interpretations Validate & rephrase – run interpretations by user and other stakeholder to see if you are right – share ideas to check your reasoning (walk the chain back) – people will be uncomfortable until the phrasing is right – need to be committed to hearing what the user is really saying – Keep in mind descriptive vs. prescriptive results 21

Be creative (6/6) Ask novice to perform task under user’s direction and observe corrections Change information in the environment to nonsense information and ask user to perform task Remove suspected information from the environment and ask user to perform task - measure time differential 22

3/4. Study Similar or Competing Products Barrow and Steal 23

Study Similar or Competing Products (1/1) Incorporate features you like Don’t just do something because your competitor does May not be anything similar Borrow ideas from other areas Run usability studies on competitors' products 24

4/4. Unsolicited Comments Users telling you what they want 25

Unsolicited User Comments (1/1) Effective when updating an existing product Keep track of frequency of comments Information that is readily available – Internet comments – Suggestions fostered by offering incentives – User hotline conversations Don’t believe everything users say – Confirm usefulness of suggestions with other techniques – Large variance in quality of these comments 26

Conclusion: Questions to Answer 27

The Task Analysis Questions (1/2) 1.Who is going to use the system? 2.What tasks do they now perform? 3.What tasks are desired? 4.How are the tasks learned? 5.Where are the tasks performed? 6.What’s the relationship between user & data? 28

The Task Analysis Questions (2/2) Advanced questions: (for bonus points, particularly good designs) What other tools does the user have? How do users communicate with each other? How often are the tasks performed? What are the time constraints on the tasks? What happens when things go wrong? 29

Caveats Best intensions can still produce bad results 30

Caveats of User-Centered Design Techniques Users are not always right – cannot anticipate new technology accurately – your job is to build system users will want not system users say they want be very careful about this (you are outsider) – if you can’t get users interested in your hot idea, you’re probably missing something – Or are too soon 31

Summary Best solution is to employ a variety of methods – 1. Questionnaires and Interviews – 2. Observational studies – 3. Examination of competing, or similar products – 4. Unstructured user input Next lecture: more on other methods 32