1. Human Computer Interaction Universitas Gunadarma
Dr Lily Wulandari
Universitas Gunadarma
Logo Seminar

2. TASK ANALYSIS

3. Introduction
Poor application interfaces can hinder the processes that occur in the organization.
This can be caused by the difficulty of using the application.
A good user interface is needed to increase the usability of an application.

4. Task Analysis
In order to fit the tasks performed by the user, the task analysis is carried out first
Analyzing and describing how people do their jobs/work
Examine users’ tasks to better understand what they need from interface and how they will use it

5. Task Analysis
Task Analysis is the study of the way people perform their jobs. Aim is to determine:
what they do
what things they use
what they must know
Task analysis gathers both declarative and procedural knowledge
Declarative: objects and relationships
Procedural: task sequences, goals and subgoals
Also dependencies and constraints

6. Components
Three key components to include in discussing how people work
Activities
Artifacts (something observed in a scientific investigation or experiment that is not naturally present but occurs as a result of the preparative or investigative procedure.)
Relations
Don’t just focus on computer system artifacts and interactions
Study related processes and objects in the environment that people may use and involve
Example: office env---papers, whiteboards, etc.

7. Task Analysis Focus Focus on observable behaviors
What are the practices, methods, steps, objects, …,used?
Observe users, what they do, less so how they do it
Not on internal cognitive state of user

8. Example Task: Cleaning House
We must know about:
vacuum cleaners, their attachments, dust bags, cupboards, rooms.

9. Input & Output Gather data: – Documentation Represent Data:
– Interviews
– Observation
– Surveys/questionnaires
– Automatic data recording/tracking
Represent Data:
– Lists, outlines, matrices
– Narratives
– Hierarchies & Networks
– Flow charts

10. Data to be Gathered Information about users Description of environment
Identify and collect information on how the user practices the task
Description of environment
– Where the tasks will be performed
Major goals of the job
– What will result in a successful end state?
User preferences & needs

11. Data to be Gathered …
For example task used by the user when using news mobile applications including,
Task View the Latest News,
Task View News,
Task News Comments,
Task Share News,
Task View Bookmarks,
Task Search News,
Task News Categories, and etc.

12. Data to be Gathered … Tasks & Subtasks:
– Physical
– Cognitive
– Communication
Conditions under which these tasks are done
Results/outcomes of tasks
Requirements to perform task:
– Information
– Communication with others
– Equipment

13. Data Gathering Tools: Docs
Documentation
Often contains description of how the tasks should be done (rather than how they are currently being done)
Standards
Manuals
Histories
Best Practices
Domain Expert Description
Expert describes how process should work, how tasks should be done
“Knowledge-based” discovery

14. DGT: Interviews Interviews: Structured Unstructured Semi-structured
Efficient
Require training
Unstructured
Inefficient
No training
Semi-structured
Good balance
Often appropriate

15. Semi-structured Interviews
Predetermine data of interest
Plan for effective question types
How do you perform task x?
Why do you perform task x?
Under what conditions do you perform task x?
What do you do before you perform…?
What information do you need to…?
Who do you need to communicate with to…?
What do you use to…?
What happens after you…?
What is the result or consequence of…?
What is the result or consequence of NOT…?

16. DGT: Observation Observation In site, watch users do what they do
Record with videotape To watch later, or again
Take lots of notes, sketches
May require coding the video later
Focus on specific task-relevant behaviors in notes, but later convert to abstract subtasks

17. DGT: Questions, Think-aloud
Questionnaires
Exploratory vs. confirmatory
Open-ended vs. categorical (exhaustive)
What do you need to perform..? (list)
Which of the following is most important to perform…? (select)
If you ask it, use it. If you won’t/can’t use it, don’t ask it.

18. DGT: Questions, Think-aloud
Think-aloud protocol
Person talks about what they are doing, while they are doing it (or just before or after)
Observer can ask probe questions
Why did you just do that?

19. DGT: Logging Automatic tracking Keystroke/mouse click monitoring
Timers
Logs
Physical location/movement trackers
Cell phones
Aware Home

20. Representing Data: Outlines
Lists, outlines, matrices
Use expanding/collapsing outline tool
Add detail progressively
Know in advance how much detail is enough
Can add linked outlines for specific subtasks
Good for sequential tasks
Does not support parallel tasks well
Does not support branching well

21. RD: Narratives Narratives Describe tasks in sentences
Often expanded version of list or outline
More effective for communicating general idea of task
Not effective for details
Not effective for branching tasks
Not effective for parallel tasks

22. RD: Hierarchies Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA)
Graphical notation & decomposition of tasks
Tasks as sets of actions
Tasks organized into plans
Clusters of subtasks with a preferred order and prerequisite conditions

23. Textual HTA

24. RD: Hierarchies Example Task Clusters Fixed sequence Optional tasks
Waiting events
Cycles
Time-sharing
Discretionary

25. Diagrammatic HTA

26. Refinement
How to check or improve the initial HTA? Some heuristics are:
paired actions where is “turn on gas”?
restructure generate task “make pot”
balance is “pour tea” simpler than “make pot”?
generalise make one cup or more

27. Refined HTA for making tea

28. Types of plan sequence 1.1 then 1.2 then 1.3
optional if the pot is full 2
wait when kettle boils, do 1.4
cycles do while there are still empty cups
parallel do 1; at the same time ...

29. RD: Networks Network / Entity-Relationship Diagrams
Objects/people with links to related objects
Stress relationship between objects and actions
Links described functionally and in terms of strength
Task: Develop design for final project
objects - pens, paper, drawing tools, etc.
actors - Mary, Bob, Sally
composite objects - the “team”

30. RD: Networks Often list attributes, actions of objects
Object: pen simple
Attribute:
color: red
writing: on/off
Object: Mary actor
Actions:
M1: make a sketch
M2: organize meeting

31. RD: Flow Charts Flow Chart of Task Steps
Combines Entity-relationship (network) with sequential flow, branching, parallel tasks.
Includes actions, decisions, logic, by all elements of the system
Abstracted
Mature, well-known, good tools

33. Exercise
Make a task analysis using diagrammatic HTA. The choice of case examples is up to you