1. More TCUID: Tasks, Scenarios, and the Design Process

2. Objectives for today Review project deliverables for next week
Continue working through TCUID
Elaborate; relate to other approaches
Try out some techniques

3. Deliverables for Next Week
User Visit Report
Task Analysis
5 Tasks
2 Scenarios based on current methods

4. User Visit Report Summary of the process you carried out
A user description – relevant user characteristics you are considering in your design.
expected range of computer and internet experience
use environment
special user concerns or motivations …
what users do today to fulfill the needs that your project aims to satisfy in a new way

5. Other Stuff To Include
Anything else you learned from the user visit not already covered
How effective was your process
Lessons learned – what you’d do different in the future
Any information you could not gather, along with either (a) plans for how you will get it or (b) how you’ll continue without it
Any changes in your conception of the project

6. Section Talks
Come prepared to spend 8-10 minutes talking with several other teams about your results.

7. Task Analysis
Descriptions of at least five (TCUID) tasks that users would accomplish with your prototype
For each task description
who are the users
what are they doing
why are they doing it
At least three should be general tasks that users accomplish today
Detailed enough for users to understand and comment on
Not tied to a specific interface

8. Current Usage Scenarios
For two of the tasks, provide a detailed scenario explaining how users accomplish that task today
These scenarios may involve computer software, paper, or other devices, in any combination

9. Quick Review of Tasks

10. Tasks
A detailed description of a complete job that a specific user wants to accomplish
Doesn’t specify how they would do the job – separate the What from the How; concentrate on the What

11. Using tasks Set goals for system functionality Inform design decisions
Thomas: “Let’s add this cool new feature!!!”
Sharon: “Why? Which task does it support?”
Compare design alternatives

12. From Task to Design Write-up tasks, circulate among users
clarify missing details
Mock up an interface, using existing systems or designs where possible
Sketch out how each task would be accomplished in the interface, then develop scenarios

13. Sample Task
Rita Neus, the on-line production coordinator for the paper sits down at 1:30 AM before going home for the night, and
Selects the stories stokeef.xy, stguns.xy, stvet.xy, stwres.xy, stcomp.sy (in that order) for the “news” section of the website.
She decides that stvet.xy should be the lead story
She realizes that stwres.xy is actually a sports story and moves it to that department.

14. Sample Task
Dr. Schafer, head of the search committee, is in charge of setting up the schedule for the campus visit of a job candidate (Sal Lammy) on February 7th.
He schedules
time to take the candidate to lunch, and dinner.
3:30-4:30 PM for the candidate’s research talk.
4:30-5:30 for the “wine and cheese reception.”
A 90-minute block for a campus tour which ends with a meeting with the Dean (check with the Dean on availability).
He contacts the other members of the department and allows them to schedule 30 minute meetings with the candidate for any time slot not yet taken and to join meals.

15. Exercise Consider the general task of voting
A voter chooses one (or more) candidate from a set of candidates for a particular office
In a given election, voters may have to make choices for multiple offices

16. Exercise – Part 2 Now consider tasks Write 2 task descriptions
Who are the users?
What are they trying to do?

17. Some example “tasks” Casting a vote Changing a vote Casting a ballot
Counting votes
Recounting votes

18. A better task description
Mary Lee Rollalong gets a ballot.
She votes for:
Jay Walker for Mayor
Krystal Ball, Moe Cotton and Jim Lawless for City Council
Bob Shotwell for Sheriff
She then realizes she can only vote for two city council members and so she “unvotes” for Moe Cotton
She submits her ballot.

19. Scenarios Specific instances of system use From the what to the how
A particular task
A particular interface
What the user do would, in detail
enough detail for a user to complete without task knowledge

20. Example Scenario Open two command prompt windows.
In window #1 type “ls –l”
In window #2 type “pico news.ord”
Type the following items one per line
“stokeef.xy”
“stguns.xy”
“stvet.xy”
“stwres.xy”
“stcomp.sy”.

21. Example Scenario
Using the cursor keys, move the cursor after the y in the line reading “stvet.xy”.
Type “>lead”.
Using the cursor keys, move the cursor to the line reading “stwres.xy”
Press ctrl-k to delete this line.
Press “ctrl-x” followed by “y” to save this file.
Type “pico sports.ord”
At the end of this file type “stwres.xy”

22. Scenarios aren’t always computer related
Obtain a paper copy of the “visitor schedule” sheet from the secretary.
In the “who” field write “Sal Lammy.”
In the “when” field write “February 7th.”
In the “why” field” write “job interview.”
Draw a box around the fields for 12:00 and 12:30. Inside this box write “Lunch with Li and others.”
Draw a box around the fields for 6:00-8:00. Inside this box write “Dinner with Schafer and others.” …
Pick up the phone and dial Find out what time in the morning the Dean would like to meet the candidate.
Draw a box around the time field suggested by the Dean and the hour prior to this. Label the box “tour and visit with Dean.”

23. Properties of Scenarios
Interface-dependent
Detail appropriate to user, task, interface
Make certain issues obvious
how components work together
tricky parts of the interface
First step in evaluation

24. Exercise Take a look at myUNIverse.uni.edu
Define 3 tasks students might try to accomplish with the site
Remember what tasks are used for
Pick one of those taks and write a scenario given myUNIverse