Task Analysis and Contextual Inquiry

1. Task Analysis and Contextual Inquiry CS 160 Discussion Section February 7, 2006

2. Interview VideoCarlo, Mareesa, and Jessica • [0:51~5:00] Introduction • Give purpose of visit, and then do general background information • Participants start volunteering information about technology use • [1:03:42-1:05:30] Learning about office computer setup • Ask questions for clarification • Prompted by things in the environment (ask about them!) • [1:08:46-1:09:25] Managing digital photos • [1:12:29-1:14:40] Scrapbooking • Mareesa describes her scrapbook; she and Carlo articulate why paper scrapbooks are better than digital scrapbooks • [1:16:04-1:17:00] PDA use • Mareesa describes why she doesn’t use her PDA

3. 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

4. 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.

5. Contextual Inquiry Tips • Make preliminary notes to focus interviews • Clarify notes with interviewees • If they use computers, ask what workarounds they resort to • Don’t talk all the time • Resume with interviewee’s 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.

6. 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 group’s 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.

7. Task Analysis Tips • Analyzing results is not the same as picking a final design • Don’t skip “ludicrous” ideas immediately • Don’t structure/categorize too early • Consider affinity diagrams • (http://www.balancedscorecard.org/files/affinity.pdf) • 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.

8. Practice Task AnalysisSome Potential Task Domains • Waiter/Waitress • Airline ticket agent • Bus driver • Car salesperson • Newspaper editor • Vacation planning

9. 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? • What’s 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?

10. 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…