Task Analysis and the Design of Functionality

Task analysis is the process of understanding the user's task thoroughly enough to help design a computer system that will effectively support users in doing the task. By task is meant the user's job or work activities, what the user is attempting to accomplish. By analysis is meant a relatively systematic approach to understanding the user's task that goes beyond unaided intuitions or speculations, and attempts to document and describe exactly what the task involves. The design of functionality is a stage of the design of computer systems in which the user-accessible functions of the computer system are chosen and specified. The basic thesis of this article is that the successful design of functionality requires a task analysis early enough in the system design to enable the developers to create a system that effectively supports the user's task. Thus the proper goal of the design of functionality is to choose functions that are both useful in the user's task, and which together with a good user interface, results in a system that is usable, being easy to learn and easy to use.