Task Analysis and Contextual Inquiry

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Task Analysis and Contextual Inquiry

• CS 160 Discussion Section
• February 7, 2006

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Interview VideoCarlo, Mareesa, and Jessica

• 051500 Introduction
• Give purpose of visit, and then do general
  background information
• Participants start volunteering information about
  technology use
• 10342-10530 Learning about office computer
  setup
• Ask questions for clarification
• Prompted by things in the environment (ask about
  them!)
• 10846-10925 Managing digital photos
• 11229-11440 Scrapbooking
• Mareesa describes her scrapbook she and Carlo
  articulate why paper scrapbooks are better than
  digital scrapbooks
• 11604-11700 PDA use
• Mareesa describes why she doesnt use her PDA

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Contextual Inquiry Tips

• Should be performed in teams, not by individual
  team members
• Interviewers Different perspectives help create
  better understanding of users
• Note-taker Record interesting events to look at
  later
• Photo, tape recorder, video
• Try out different roles in each interview

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Contextual Inquiry Tips

• Use time after interview to analyze info and
  refocus for next interview
• Refocusing includes choosing subsequent
  interviewees
• Select interviewees who can develop our
  understanding of the users, their tasks and work
  contexts

Karen Holtzblatt and Sandra Jones. Conducting
and Analyzing a Contextual Interview, in Schuler
and Namioka, Participatory Design Principles and
Practices, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1993.
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Contextual Inquiry Tips

• Make preliminary notes to focus interviews
• Clarify notes with interviewees
• If they use computers, ask what workarounds they
  resort to
• Dont talk all the time
• Resume with interviewees words or thoughts if
  interrupt at an inconvenient time

Karen Holtzblatt and Sandra Jones. Conducting
and Analyzing a Contextual Interview, in Schuler
and Namioka, Participatory Design Principles and
Practices, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1993.
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Task Analysis Tips

• Use the questions from lecture
• Easiest to work from transcripts
• Team analysis of interview transcripts
• Saves time in the long run
• Builds team ownership
• Come out with a clear understanding of the
  groups focus

Karen Holtzblatt and Sandra Jones. Conducting
and Analyzing a Contextual Interview, in Schuler
and Namioka, Participatory Design Principles and
Practices, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1993.
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Task Analysis Tips

• Analyzing results is not the same as picking a
  final design
• Dont skip ludicrous ideas immediately
• Dont structure/categorize too early
• Consider affinity diagrams
• (http//www.balancedscorecard.org/files/affinity.p
  df)
• Use and reuse the interviewees language
• May need to validate interpretation with original
  interviewee

Karen Holtzblatt and Sandra Jones. Conducting
and Analyzing a Contextual Interview, in Schuler
and Namioka, Participatory Design Principles and
Practices, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1993.
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Practice Task AnalysisSome Potential Task Domains

• Waiter/Waitress
• Airline ticket agent
• Bus driver
• Car salesperson
• Newspaper editor
• Vacation planning

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Practice Task AnalysisThe Task Analysis Questions

• Who is going to use system?
• What tasks do they now perform? (specify easy,
  medium, and hard tasks)
• What tasks are desired?
• How are the tasks learned?
• Where are the tasks performed?
• Whats the relationship between user data?
• What other tools does the customer have?
• How do customers communicate with each other?
• How often are the tasks performed?
• What are the time constraints on the tasks?
• What happens when things go wrong?

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Administrivia

• VisualStudio 2005 and the Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK
  are installed in Soda 330
• Online assignment submission
• Does anyone need help finding interview
  participants?
• Thanks to Matthew Kam for some of the slides