User And Task Analysis For Interface Design

User and Task Analysisfor Interface DesignJoAnn T. Hackos and Janice C. RedishWILEY COMPUTERPUBLISHING WILEYJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.New York Chichester Weinheim Brisbane Singapore Toronto

ContentsPrefaceAbout the bookAcknowledgmentsxixivxviiiChapter 1. Introducing User and Task Analysis for Interface DesignWhat is this book about?What is interface design?What makes an interface usable?What is user and task analysis?When should you do user and task analysis?Why do user and task analysis at all?Why isn't this done all the time already?Where does user and task analysis come from?References cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further reading1356781113141919Part 1. Understanding the Context of User and Task Analysis21Chapter 2. Thinking About UsersWhy study users?Who are your users?Starting a user and task analysisWhat do you want to know about your users?Jobs, tasks, tools, and mental models: How users define themselvesIndividual differencesWhat are the trade-offs?References cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further reading23252731353543495050V

vi User and Task Analysis for Interface DesignChapter 3. Thinking About TasksWhat is task analysis?Starting with users' goalsIdentifying different types and levels of task analysisCombining workflow analysis and job analysisTask analysis to develop a task list or task inventoryProcess analysis, task sequencesTask hierarchiesProcedural analysisThinking of users according to their stages of useReferences cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further reading515254606769717375768990Chapter 4. Thinking About the Users' EnvironmentWhy is environment important?What aspects of the environment are important?What should you look for in the physical environment?What should you look for in the social and cultural environment?What are the trade-offs?References cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further reading91919398106109109110Chapter 5. Making the Business Case for Site VisitsChallenging or verifying your assumptionsCountering objections to doing user and task analysisPreparing a business proposalReferences cited in the chapterIllIll115121126Part 2. Getting Ready for Site Visits127Chapter 6. Selecting TechniquesObserving, listening to, and talking with usersInterviewing users and othersWorking with users away from their work sitesUsing more traditional market research techniquesUsing more traditional systems development techniquesSummaryReferences cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further reading129130135142145150153153154Chapter 7. Setting Up Site VisitsIssues and ata collection techniques155156160171175179189

Contents References cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further readingvii192192Chapter 8. Preparing for the Site VisitsIssues to consider as you prepareOrganizing the teamTraining the teamMaterials for the site visitsWhat materials will you need for the team to use during the site visits?What materials will you need to facilitate information gathering?Will you videotape? Audiotape?Deciding what you will do with the dataStaying organized (building in record keeping)Site Visit PlanSite visit plan for SuperSalesReference cited in the chapter193194194198200209216218222227228229240Part 3. Conducting the Site Visit241Chapter 9. Conducting the Site Visit—Honing Your Observation SkillsHandling the site visitLearning more about the userTaking notes on the user's environmentUnderstanding the users' goalsUnderstanding the users' tasksAsking the user to talk to you and to think aloudNoting where the user starts the taskNoting what triggers the taskTaking down the level of detail you need for your issuesCapturing interactions with other resources: people, paper, programsSeparating observations and inferences as you watch usersNoting where the user ends the task (what happens next)Noting whether the user successfully met the goalGoing on to the next observation or the next part of the site visitThanking the user, distributing presents, and taking your leaveReferences cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further 68269271271Chapter 10. Conducting the Site Visit—Honing Your Interviewing SkillsListening—the most important part of interviewingSetting expectations about roles and knowledgePlanning the questions or issues for site visit interviewsKnowing what you are trying to learnRealizing the power of different types of questionsAsking neutral questionsRespecting silenceWatching body language and other signals from users273275276277278279281287287

viii User and Task Analysis for Interface DesignCapturing exactly what the user saysStaying close to your site visit planBeing flexibleGiving users opportunities to answer the questions you didn't askHandling questions from usersReferences cited in the chapter290291292293293294Part 4. Making the Transition from Analysis to Design295Chapter 11. Analyzing and Presenting the Data You Have CollectedMethods for organizing and analyzing your dataOther methods for analyzing your dataMethods of enhancing your presentationsSelecting the best methods for your analysisSelecting the right methods for analysis depends on team issuesReferences cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further reading299302329333336339344344Chapter 12. Working toward the Interface DesignDesigning from what you've learnedQualitative usability goals and measurable objectivesObjects/Actions: Nouns/VerbsMetaphors for the interface designUse scenariosUse sequencesUse flow diagramsUse workflowsUse hierarchiesStoryboarding and sketchingVideo dramatizationsReferences cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further hapter 13. Prototyping the Interface DesignSetting the backgroundBuilding prototypesEvaluating prototypesContinuing the processReferences cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further reading375376381386401403404Chapter 14. User and Task Analysis for Documentation and TrainingWhat types of documents and training materials need user and task analysis?What counts as documentation or training in a software application?Why are mere so many types of communication in software?Who should prepare documentation and training materials?Why should you do user and task analysis for documentation and training?405406407409411411

Contents What might you do during site visits if your focus is documentation or training?What can you do with the information you gather during site visits?How do you move from decisions to prototypes?User's manuals: Why is organizing by users' tasks so important?Getting started manuals: What is minimalism?Online help: What do people want to know?On the screen: What is an embedded performance support system?What about the Web?What about computer-based and Web-based training?SummaryReferences cited in the chapterOther books and articles for further ography439Appendix A. Template for a Site Visit PlanIssues and objectivesParticipantsLocationsSchedule for the field study projectRecruitingData collection techniques and schedule for each site visitTeamsMaterialsMediaData analysis and 52453Appendix B. Resources455Appendix C. Guidelines for User-Interface DesignMenusWindowsDialog 4467471473475477Index479

User and Task Analysis for Interface Design JoAnn T. Hackos and Janice C. Redish WILEY COMPUTER PUBLISHING WILEY John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York Chichester Weinheim Brisbane Singapore Toronto