User Interface Design and Ergonomics - National Open University of ...

MODULE 2
UNIT 2 UNDERSTANDING USERS AND TASK ANALYSIS
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Understanding Users
3.2 Task Analysis
3.3 Using The Tasks In Design
3.4 Creating The Initial Design
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor Marked Assignment
7.0 Further Reading and Other Resources
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The general understanding of users and task analysis will be introduced to you in this
unit. Using of task in designs and creating of the initial design will also be discussed in
this unit.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
By the end this unit, you should be able to:
Describe how to understand users.
Explain Task Analysis.
Explain the use of tasks in design
Describe the creation of Initial design
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 UNDERSTANDING USERS
To get a good interface you have to figure out who is going to use it and to do what. You
may think your idea for a new system is so wonderful that everyone will want it. But
history suggests you may be wrong. Even systems that turned out to be useful in
unexpected ways, like the spreadsheet, started out by being useful in some expected
ways.
You may not have needed selling on this point. "Everybody" knows you have to do some
kind of requirements analysis. Yes, but based on what, and in what form? Our advice is
to insist that your requirements be grounded in information about real, individual people
and real tasks that they really want to perform. Get soft about this and the illusions start
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