Task Analysis and Intuition Factorsin Human-computer Interaction

26 September 2017Champaign, Illinois, USA

Task Analysis Basis

- Human Factors and Psychology- Element of a UX Practice for User Testing- Used to conduct research or test against hypotheses

What is Task Analysis

The observation (understanding) of how a particular task (any task) is accomplished.

Task Analysis in User Research

- The practice of User Experience Design involves a variety of research and testing procedures, User Research

- Task Analysis is a procedure used within the User Research and Testing process to accomplish the following:

- Observe controlled variable set- User accomplishes a task (e.g., saving a file)

- Testing existing design hypothesis- User understands X when accomplishing a task, so X must be

present (e.g., using a floppy disk icon to indicate cloud sync)

User Research

- Task Analysis is used in User Research to find quantitative and qualitative measures for a particular software design

- Testing: How does the user perform the task?

Intuition Factors (Task Analysis Test User*)

- Personal Instinct- What seems right to me as a user

- Experience Driven- What has been successful in the past

- Learned Usability- This procedure has worked for me before

- Perceived Usability- How do I think the software creator

wants me to accomplish this task *User is test subject

Intuition Factors are a two-way street

- Software creators utilize intuition factors to get in the mind of the user

- Users utilize intuition factors to get in the mind of the creator

Intuition Factors (Software Creator)

- Personal Instinct- What seems right to me as a designer

- Experience Driven- What has been successful in the past

- Learned Usability- What has become a standard within the software user base

- Perceived Usability- What do I think the user will do in this scenario

Great Design is based on data, partially

User interface design is a combination of data collected from user testing/research and intuition

One part data, one part intuition

Data is more than Task Analysis

- User Research Results- Task Analysis- A/B Testing- Heatmaps- Eytracking

- User Stories And more...

Task Analysis in practice

- Part of the User Testing process:- Controlled environment for recording- Set a clearly defined task- Observe user closely- Ask user to speak their thoughts audibly- Discuss the session afterwards

The Analysis (the deliverable)

- Create a report - Often delivered in the format of an email or .PDF- May include video recording or screencast

- Include all aspects of the test- Include details of the subject- Solve for “Was the task successfully completed”

The Analysis (the deliverable)

- Reports should include:- Success or failure- Duration- Thought process - Final user flow- Environment

- Operating System- Hardware- Physical location

- Complexity- Previous training

- Instruction- Outside factors

- Unknown unknowns- Other factors

- Known unknowns

Task Analysis and Prototyping

- Prototyping is a great way to segment task analysis- Remote (online) user testing with prototypes often

require aspects of Task Analysis- Understand that intuition factors may interfere with

task analysis and user testing subject bias

Closing

- The User Experience Design process involves User Research and Testing

- Task Analysis falls under User Research and Testing- Analyze task with the two-way intuition factors in mind- Task Analysis can help develop and refine the User

Experience Design process

Alex Shirazi

@alexshirazialexshirazi.com