User and Task Analysis

© Ed Green© Ed Green

Penn State UniversityPenn State University

All Rights ReservedAll Rights Reserved04/18/23 User and Task Analysis 1

What is “User Analysis”?• User Analysis – evaluation and assessment of the

user community• User needs

• Requirements to do a job or complete a task• Social and technical

• User interactions• Explanation of how users relate to each other

• Individual to individual• Individual to the group

• Explanation of how users relate to other work groups• User processes

• Explanation of the steps taken to complete a task• Work done• Effort expended

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What is “Task Analysis”?

• Task Analysis – evaluation and assessment of work• Objects

• Inputs required• Outputs produced

• Process• Set of steps executed to turn inputs into outputs

• Sequence is important

• Decision points and alternative are key

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Why User and Task Analysis is an Important Consideration• Task Analysis described as an “IPO”

• Input• Process• Output

• Users must interact with HCI• HCI will frame input collection from users• HCI will produce outputs users must use

• Process will perform repetitive and redundant sub-tasks• Responsibilities must be known and understood

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User and Task AnalysisA Study in Relationships

Release

ProjectStart

UserAnalysis

TaskAnalysis

Task Model

Usability testing

User’s conceptual model

Implementation of design

Paper prototype

Use model

Prototype with dataflowand interface

Usability testing

Usability testing

UsersUser goals/tasksUser environments

User profilesTask AnalysesEnvironment profiles

Source: Hackos & Redish,User and Task Analysis04/18/23 User and Task Analysis 5

User and Task Analysis is Related to Interface and System Development

ProjectStart

System AnalysisDataflowObjects

Data Model

User & Task AnalysisUsersUser goals & tasksUser environments

Corporate ObjectiveLong-range goalsDecisions on marketsFeasibility/cost decisions

Task ModelUser profilesTask analysesEnvironment profiles

Technology decisionsPlatforms supportedArchitecture

User’s conceptualmodel

Paper Prototype

Use Model

Usability Testing

Prototype with dataflow and interface

Usability Testing

Implementation of Design

Function Testing Usability Testing

Release

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Who are Users?• Individuals who buy software and use it without assistance or

interaction• Individuals who use the interface and (resulting) information as part of

the work they do• Groups of people who use software and information as part of a larger

business process• People who administer/manage the software so that others may use it

successfully• Users of the administrative interface

• Individuals who repair products that are broken or trouble shoot systems or processes that fail

• People who install products for themselves and others• Users of installation software and information

• Customers of users and others affected by users working with the interface and information

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Classification of Users• Primary Users

• Those individuals who themselves use the interface and information to perform tasks

• Secondary Users• Those individuals who are impacted or affected by the actions,

services, or products generated or produced by primary users• User Communities

• The set of people who • Directly use the interface and information to perform tasks• Are indirectly impacted by the results or output of performed tasks

• Surrogate Users• Individuals who speak on behalf of a user community

• For example, managers and supervisors

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What About Users• Users are work focused

• Task-centric• Know their jobs• Understand their domain• Have their own vocabulary

• Technology neutral• Computer literacy the ability to turn the computer on, log in, and

initiate the desired application

• Users are individuals• Individuality comes through even in a work group• Physical and cultural differences• Motivational differences

• Users bond into “informal organizations”

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What About Tasks?• Tasks represent work to be performed by a user

community• Tasks existed long before computers• Goal-oriented

• Described • Workflow analysis• Job analysis• Task lists and task inventories• Process analysis and task sequencing• Task hierarchies• Procedural analysis

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Remembering Goals• User goals• Management goals• Technical goals

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Achieving Goals; Performing Tasks (per Norman)

1. Forming the goal

2. Forming the intention

3. Specifying an action

4. Executing the action

5. Perceiving the state (of the world)

6. Interpreting the state (of the world)

7. Evaluating the outcome

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Considerations in Task Analysis• Seeing how users choose tasks to meet goals

• How do users select from among options?• Seeing what happens when users have problems

• How do users react when things go wrong?• User decision making

• Keeping goals as part of decision making• Device dependency• Task analysis must be done within a context

• Identifying different types and levels of task analysis• Performing workflow analysis• Performing job analysis• Task list; task inventory• Process analysis/task sequencing• Task hierarchies• Procedural analysis

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Identifying Different Types and Levels of Task Analysis• How work gets done when several people are involved (workflow

analysis)• What a single individual does over some period of time (job

analysis)• How workflow analysis and job analysis interact• What tasks are performed by all people (task list/task inventory)• The order in which tasks are performed (process analysis; task

sequencing)• Task size and set of sub-tasks (task hierarchies)• Steps taken and decisions made to accomplish a task or sub-

task (procedural analysis)

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Task Analysis Diagram

1.1. 2.2. 3.3. 4.4. 5.5. 6.6. 7.7.

Process StepsProcess Steps

Knowing when to begin

Inputs

Knowing when finished

Outputs

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Task Action Diagram Example

Scenario: Develop the task action diagram that describes the Scenario: Develop the task action diagram that describes the order entry activity by a waitperson at a family order entry activity by a waitperson at a family restaurant. restaurant.

1. (Server) enters id2. (Server) enters table

information3. (Server) enters a

customer order. If last order, step 4 else step 3

4. (Server) closes entry5. (Server) receives

confirmation

Order EntryOrder EntryOrder EntryOrder EntryTerminalTerminal

CustomersCustomers

Menus Menus

Orders Orders

CustomerCustomerOrder 1Order 1

CustomerCustomerOrder nOrder n

..

..

..Table Table OrderOrder

Table Table OrderOrder

Customers seated withCustomers seated withmenus, questions answeredmenus, questions answeredand orders given to serverand orders given to server

Order for the table is Order for the table is received in kitchenreceived in kitchen

Table NumberTable Number

Server IDServer ID

..

..

..

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Levels of Users• Novices• Competent Performers

• Infrequent• Frequent

• Experts

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Classes of Users

• Primary – frequent hands-on exercisers of the interaction functionality

• Secondary – occasional users and/or those that use the interaction functionality via an intermediary

• Tertiary – those affected by the introduction of the system or those that will influence its purchase

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Stakeholders• People and/or organizations that will be affected by

the system• Includes users

. . .and a lot more

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Stakeholders Versus Users• Users are stakeholders• Stakeholders are any group or individual who has a

vested interest in the success of a system

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Stages of Action Models (Norman 1988)

1. Forming the goal

2. Forming the intention

3. Specifying the action

4. Executing the action

5. Perceiving the system state

6. Interpreting the system state

7. Evaluating the outcome

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“Gulf of Execution”• Mismatch between the user’s intentions and the set of

allowable actions

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“Gulf of Evaluation”• Mismatch between the system’s representation and

the user’s expectation

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Norman’s Principles of Good Design

1. State and action alternatives should be visible

2. Good conceptual model with a consistent system image

3. Interface should include good mappings that reveal the relationships between the stages

4. User should receive continuous feedback.

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Consistency• Consistency is a hallmark of effective user

interfaces• Characteristics of consistency:

• Orderly• Predictable• Described in a few rules

• Easy to learn and retain

“Even if you are not totally correct, be totally consistent!”

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Consistency Examples

• An environment is consistent when the same term is used to identify or name an action in a given environment• Same word in a character-oriented environment• Same symbol in a graphical language environment• Same syntax in in a character-oriented environment• Same symbol placement in a graphical display

environment• Common responses to common stimuli

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Action Grammar• The language and syntax that is pervasive across an

entire environment

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Task Action Grammar• The language and syntax that is specific to an

individual task or set of tasks within an entire environment

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Syntax and Semantics

• Syntax – the structural elements of a language

• Semantics – the rules for using the language syntax (structural elements of the language)

• Grammar – consists of syntactical and semantic elements

Environment specific and dependent

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