§6-Task analysis

Question 1

task analysis in context of interaction design

Answer 1

 Find out who the users are
 Find out what task they perform
** Create models of the task
 Create scenarios of use

Question 2

What is task analysis

Answer 2

1. analyse task hierarchy

2. investigate existing situation

Question 3

Why do TA?

Answer 3

1. understand how users currently perform the task
2. system must match user’s tasks
3. system will fail if it doesn’t do what users want or conflicts with their goals (e.g. lack of closure)

Question 4

key activities in TA

Answer 4

1. model the important tasks that the system will support
2. identify goals
3. identify actions to meet goals
4. identify sequential dependencies

Question 5

Process for creating a task model

Answer 5

1. task decomposition (high level tasks into lower level subtasks), show task flows, decision processes, screen layouts
2. show sequencing of activities by ordering
   top down – how is it done
   bottom up – why is it done
3. identify task to analyse
4. break down
5. layered diagram
6. decide on level to decompose to
7. continue decomposition
8. present to user to check for consistency

Question 6

Purpose of a task flow diagram

Answer 6

1. document the details of specific tasks
2. highlight areas that are poorly understood
3. tasks carried out differently by different people
4. users carry out tasks that are inconsistent with the higher level task structure imposed by the system

Question 7

Lack of closure

Answer 7

ATM cash/card

Question 8

Problems with letter sending + correct it

Answer 8

** cf with images *

Question 9

Use of task models in making comparisons of workflows

Answer 9

1. number of steps

2. alternative steps

Question 10

cons of task models

Answer 10

1. does not scale well to complex tasks which aren’t sequential
   hard to model
2. fragmentation
3. overlapping tasks
4. learning / transition to more efficient methods
5. communication/collaboration
6. tends to concentrate on how things are already done

Question 11

pros of task models

Answer 11

1. comparisons

2. identify problems early on e.g. lack of closure