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Human Computer Interaction Understanding Task Analysis

Human Computer Interaction The document discusses hierarchical task analysis (HTA) which is a method for understanding the tasks users perform with a product or system. HTA involves breaking down a task into subtasks, sub-subtasks, and plans to specify how the tasks may be performed. It can be represented graphically or textually. An example HTA is provided for using a microwave which breaks down the overall goal of cooking food into preparing a meal, putting it in the microwave, selecting a program, and removing the meal. [/SUMMARY]

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Deenesh Kumar
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230 views18 pages

Human Computer Interaction Understanding Task Analysis

Human Computer Interaction The document discusses hierarchical task analysis (HTA) which is a method for understanding the tasks users perform with a product or system. HTA involves breaking down a task into subtasks, sub-subtasks, and plans to specify how the tasks may be performed. It can be represented graphically or textually. An example HTA is provided for using a microwave which breaks down the overall goal of cooking food into preparing a meal, putting it in the microwave, selecting a program, and removing the meal. [/SUMMARY]

Uploaded by

Deenesh Kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Human Computer Interaction

Understanding Task Analysis

1
Learning Outcomes

• At the end of this lecture, you should be able to:


– Draft the Hierarchical Task Analysis (chart or textual
based)
Key Terms you must be able to use

If you have mastered this topic, you should be able to use the
following terms correctly in your assignments and exams:

•Task analysis
•Hierarchical task analysis
Task Analysis

• A method/set of methods for understanding the tasks users


carry out with a product/system
• To analyze the underlying rationale and purpose of what people
are doing; what are they trying to achieve, why are they trying
to achieve it, and how are they going about it?
• To investigate an existing situation
• Can be used for many different purposes within design and
evaluation activities….
Task Analysis

• Key definitions (Norman, 1988):


– Goal - the state that the human wishes to achieve
– Task - the activity required in order to bring about the state
the human wishes to achieve (the goal)
Task Analysis

• Task analysis techniques support user-centred design


• Informs us (in detail) as to:
– how users use existing products
– how users may interact with future products
• Can be used to:
– improve current design
– identify potential problems with new design
– identify requirements for new design
– design training materials and manuals
– develop evaluation plans
Hierarchical task analysis

• HTA is a commonly used means of breaking tasks down into a


hierarchy of goals, operations (actions) and plans
• It involves breaking a task down into subtasks and then into
sub – subtasks
• These are then grouped together as plans that specify how
the tasks might be performed in an actual situation
Procedure for carrying out
Hierarchical task analysis

• The starting point is a user goal, then examined the main tasks
associated with achieving that goal. Where appropriate, these
tasks are subdivided into subtasks

• Start with the overall goal (verb-noun pair), e.g. “Use email”,
“Print a letter”
• Break these down into meaningful subgoals/tasks (asking how
question)
• Break down subgoals further until reach an appropriate
stopping point
Procedure for carrying out
Hierarchical task analysis

• Add plans to the analysis - conditional statements, often


utilising boolean logic, e.g.
• DO 1, THEN 2, THEN (IF condition = true) DO 3, ELSE DO 4,
THEN EXIT
• Represent the goals, subgoals, operations and plans using
either:
• graphical views (boxes and arrows)
• non-graphical methods (e.g. tabulation, outlines, textual)
Hierarchical task analysis – graphical view
Hierarchical task analysis – graphical view
Hierarchical task analysis – textual
representation
• HTA can also be written as a list like this:
0. to clean house
1. get vacuum cleaner
2. clean rooms
2.1 clean hall
2.2 clean living rooms
2.3 clean bedrooms etc
3. empty dust bag
4. put vacuum cleaner away
Plan 0: do 1,2,4
when dust bag full, do 3
Plan 2: do any of 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 in any order depending on which rooms need
cleaning.
An example of HTA for a Microwave Oven

• What is the overall goal?


– “Cook food!”
• How is this done?
– Prepare meal
– Put meal in oven
– Select programme
– Listen for bell to ring
– Remove meal
An example of HTA for a Microwave Oven

• Selecting a programme - How is this done?


– Set to autosensor
– Set to defrost
– Set timer to cook
• What are the rules that influence the order in which
tasks/subtasks take place? (the plans)…..
An example of HTA for a Microwave Oven
Further Task Analysis (Matrixes)
Task Analysis – Critical Thinking

• Some requirements that might have ‘emerged’ from


carrying out this Task analysis:
– The need for a distinctive, but not annoying, bell sound
– The need for an easily accessible mechanism for
opening the door
– The need for a highly learnable (guessable) means of
selecting a programme
Q&A

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