Enhancement of User Experience by Task Analysis:A Proposal

Abstract

This research Investigated how Task Analysis allows user to accomplish their task and obtain the information they require in an efficient and effective manner. In this modern era Usability has become major factor for the use of any product or system can be enhanced through many ways. Usability of websites is the major issue user finds difficulties to find its desired stuff or information the website. Usability can be defined as necessity for web. If a website does not fulfil the needs of the user or it is difficult for a user to use, the user will leave the page. The research deals with the enhancement of user experience by task analysis. It would be helpful to remove the shortcomings or flaws of existing websites. Fig 1 highlight the framework of this research. Fig 1: Framework This research will use survey method and card sorting technique along task analysis for redesigning. The proposed design would be according to the user's need and easy for user to fulfil its goal.

Full text

Proceedings of 2nd International Multi-Disciplinary Conference 19-20 December 2016 Gujrat, Pakistan
Enhancement of User Experience by Task Analysis:A Proposal
Khadija Fyiaz
Department of Computing and Information Technology
The University of Lahore, Gujrat Campus
Gujrat, Pakistan
msit09153033@student.uol.edu.pk
Aliza Basharat
Department of Computing and Information Technology
The University of Lahore, Gujrat Campus
Gujrat, Pakistan
mscs09161007@student.uol.edu.pk
Javed Anjum Sheikh
Department of Computing and Information Technology
The University of Lahore, Gujrat Campus
Gujrat, Pakistan
Javed.anjum@cs.uol.edu.pk
Anam Arshad
Department of Computing and Information Technology
The University of Lahore, Gujrat Campus
Gujrat, Pakistan
msit09153022@student.uol.edu.pk
Abstract:
This research Investigated how Task Analysis allows user
to accomplish their task and obtain the information they
require in an efficient and effective manner. In this
modern era Usability has become major factor for the use
of any product or system can be enhanced through many
ways. Usability of websites is the major issue user finds
difficulties to find its desired stuff or information the
website. Usability can be defined as necessity for web. If
a website does not fulfil the needs of the user or it is
difficult for a user to use, the user will leave the page. The
research deals with the enhancement of user experience
by task analysis. It would be helpful to remove the
shortcomings or flaws of existing websites. Fig 1
highlight the framework of this research.
Fig 1: Framework
This research will use survey method and card sorting
technique along task analysis for redesigning. The
proposed design would be according to the user’s need
and easy for user to fulfil its goal.
Keywords: Usability, Task Analysis, User Experience
I. INTRODUCTION
Usability has become a competitive factor for any system
or product. The process by which one achieves good
usability in a product is known as User-Centered Design
(UCD). This is also referred to as usability engineering or
human-centered design (1). In this modern era when
usability has become major component for the use of any
IT related product or any system or web, the need of
enhancement of usability for any product, system or web.
Usability of any product or system can be increased
through many ways. First thing to do is check the existing
or running system, product or web by testing its usability.
Usability inspection can be done by using Task Analysis
technique (TAT). Through TAT usability issues can be
highlighted. To resolve problem for any web or system
TAT would be helpful to gain the user’s desired system or
web with high usability.
Today, the satisfaction with actual usage aspects is still
lower compared to the technical and functional aspects of
software used in SMEs. However, in parallel we have seen
that usability is considered as equally important as
technical and functional aspects (2). In this era when the
need of website has highly increased it is also important to
increase the usability of websites and to facilitate user as
per its needs.

Proceedings of 2nd International Multi-Disciplinary Conference 19-20 December 2016 Gujrat, Pakistan
To enhance the usability of the website in this research
different websites would be evaluated through Task
analysis. Survey technique would be used for gathering
data from user. Usability can be enhanced by using
different methods. With the help of usability techniques
and user involvement, will enhance the user experience.
And also gives the user desired result and ease to achieve
its goals.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW/USABILITY
Usability can be defined as: interaction between the user
and the product or with the system. Usability is the
measurement of a product's potential to accomplish the
goals of the user also referred to be as usability. While the
ease of use and learnability of a human-made object such
as a tool or device also belongs to usability.
The extent to which a product can be used by specified
users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness,
efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use (3).
A product can’t be usable or unusable by itself, its features
or attributes which determine its usability. Any change in
the system or product or in environment or task can be the
reason of change in the product’s or system’s usability.
Usability can also be defined as following terms:
 Learnability: How easy is it for users to
accomplish basic tasks the first time they
encounter the design?
 Efficiency: Once users have learned the design,
how quickly can they perform tasks?
 Memorability: When users return to the design
after a period of not using it, how easily can they
re-establish proficiency?
 Errors: How many errors do users make, how
severe are these errors, and how easily can they
recover from the errors?
 Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the
design?
A. Usability and its importance
On the web, usability is the key to survive. Usability can
be used as necessity for web. If a website does not fulfil
the needs of user or it is difficult for a user to use, the user
will leave the page. Same like this if your homepage
doesn’t deliver the purpose of your website then it would
be useless to develop it.
Usability is the most important factor for any web.
According to Jakob Nielsen, if the user task or requirement
is being fulfilled and the user is spending enough time on
website to achieve its goal and getting desired result it
would be by providing maximum usability (4).
The result of a research shown that usability is very
important in order to develop favorable perception of the
user. Globally, the researcher has found four usability
factors out of five measured to be significantly related to
the trustworthiness of the vendor (5). Therefor the
researcher has concluded that the usability of a website has
an impact on the establishment of trust (6).
B. GOMS Model
It is useful to analyze the knowledge of how to do a task
in terms of goals, operators, methods, and selection rules
(7). An approach to describe the knowledge of
procedures that a user must have in order to operate a
system. This method was proposed by Card, Moran, &
Newell (8).
Goals - what goals can be accomplished with the system?
(9)
Operators - what basic actions can be performed? (10)
Methods - what sequences of operators can be used to
accomplish each goal. (11)
Selection Rules - which method should be used to
accomplish a goal.(12)
Fig no 1
C. GOMS and Task Anaylsis
Hierarchal Task Analysis (HTA) differs from GOMS. In
HTA it considers only physical activity (not cognitive
tasks), and focuses on plans (rather than selection rules).
Conversely, large-scale tasks can be described using HTA
whereas only a dedicated person with too much times on
their hands would complete a GOMS analysis for such
large tasks (it would take weeks of effort to do it
thoroughly). If using HTA as a guide for implementation
or for detailed documentation, a fairly fine grain of detail
(down to the individual action level) may be necessary.
Where it is being used to help get an understanding of the
domain tasks, less detail may be appropriate (13).
D. Task Analysis
Task analysis means learning about users' goals and users'
ways of working. Figuring out what more specific tasks

Proceedings of 2nd International Multi-Disciplinary Conference 19-20 December 2016 Gujrat, Pakistan
users must do to meet those goals and what steps they
must take to accomplish those tasks also meant to Task
Analysis. Along with user and task analysis, a third
analysis is often used: understanding users' environments
(physical, social, cultural, and technological
environments). TA methods can be used to eliminate the
preconditions that give rise to errors before they occur.
They can be used as an aid in the design stage of a new
system, or the modification of an existing system. They
can also be used as part of an audit of an existing system.
(14).
The technique should be used during the analysis phase of
design to ensure proper description of user activities. It
can be used to analyses interactions with an existing
system or as a means to structure discussions about a
hypothetical product. (15).
1) Purpose of Task Analysis
Performing a task analysis helps you understand:
 What your users’ goals are; what they are trying to
achieve
 What users actually do to achieve those goals
 What experiences (personal, social, and cultural)
users bring to the tasks
 How users are influenced by their physical
environment
 How users’ previous knowledge and experience
influence: o How they think about their work
 The workflow they follow to perform their tasks
2) Types of Task Analysis
There are several types of task analysis but among the
most common techniques used these are:
a) Cognitive Task Analysis is focused on
understanding tasks that require decision-making,
problem-solving, memory, attention and
judgment. The task analysis techniques described
in the previous section are mainly oriented
towards observable actions.
b) Hierarchical Task Analysis is focused on
decomposing a high-level task subtasks.
 Involves breaking a task down into subtasks, then
sub-tasks and so on. These are grouped as plans
which specify how the tasks might be performed
in practice
 HTA focuses on physical and observable actions,
and includes looking at actions not related to
software or an interaction device.
 Start with a user goal which is examined and the
main tasks for achieving it are identified.
3) Task Analysis and Benefits
 Through a task analysis you can attain a clear
definition of what resources, and results are
related to current tasks that are (or will be) related
to your program or project (16).
 By using a task analysis to systematically review
the completion of current tasks and their results
your needs assessment will be better prepared to
make recommendations regarding changes to
current procedures and/or new tasks (17).
 A task analysis will help you identify both what
is working well and what is not working as well
within the current system or organization (18).
 HTA is an economical method of gathering and
organizing information since the hierarchical
description needs only to be developed up to the
point where it is needed for the purposes of the
analysis (19).
 The hierarchical structure of HTA enables the
analyst to focus on crucial aspects of the task
which can have an impact on plant safety (20).
 When used as an input to design, HTA allows
functional objectives to be specified at the higher
levels of the analysis prior to final decisions
being made about the hardware. This is important
when allocating functions between personnel and
automatic systems (21).
 HTA is best developed as collaboration between
the task analyst and people involved in
operations. Thus, the analyst develops the
description of the task in accordance with the
perceptions of line personnel who are responsible
for effective operation of the system (22).
 HTA can be used as a starting point for using
various error analysis methods to examine the
error potential in the performance of the required
operations (23).

Proceedings of 2nd International Multi-Disciplinary Conference 19-20 December 2016 Gujrat, Pakistan
4) Task Analysis and Websites
By using testing technique “Task Analysis” any system or
website can be evaluated. Task Analysis can help to check
following things:
 Goal: Things they wants to do.
 Task: What things they use.
 Action: What they must know.
To check usability of website Task Analysis technique
applied on different websites following are the few
examples of Task Analysis and usability issues:
Example: Master Sanitary Fittings Website
Master Sanitary Home Page
Now the task is to search to search oasis overhead (product
of Master Sanitary), following is the hierarchy how a task
is divided in to sub-tasks:
Product Search
Now above mentioned Fig is the simple Task performed
on SME’s website. In above mentioned hierarchy the goal
of a user is to search Oasis overhead, next is the task user
performed to achieve its goal and the actions user know
before performing the task. Now following are the
screenshots of website on which a task is performed:
Fig no 2
On the website user need to search for a specific product
of a sanitary. It would go for products list on the
homepage and will go for the sub-tab of products which is
of shower.
Fig no 3
In figure 2 users has find its desire product is the sub- tab
of products, which is shower. This is an example of a task
performed on the website.
E. Card Sorting
The term card Sorting applies to a wide variety of
activities involving the grouping and/or naming of objects
or concepts. These may be represented on physical cards;
virtual cards on computer screens; or photos in either
physical or computer form (24).
Following are the methods of card sorting:
Open Card Sorting: Participants are given cards with no
pre-established groupings. They are asked to sort cards
Master Sanitary
Fittings
1. Home 2. About Us 3. Products 4. Media Center 5. Customer
Care 6. Contact Us 7. Wislist
1. Oasis Overhead
1.1. Products 1.2. Showers 1.3. Plastic
OverHeads
1.4. Oasis Oval
ShowerHead

Proceedings of 2nd International Multi-Disciplinary Conference 19-20 December 2016 Gujrat, Pakistan
into groups that they feel are appropriate and then
describe each group.
Closed Card Sorting: Participants are given cards
showing site content with an established initial set of
primary groups. Participants are asked to place cards into
these pre-established primary groups. Closed card sorting
is useful when adding new content to an existing
structure, or for gaining additional feedback after an open
card sort
There are few advantages of card sorting which are above
mentioned:
Simple – Card sorts are very easy to implement by
organizers and participants as well.
Cheap – Cost of a stack of 3×5 index cards, sticky notes,
a pen or printing labels, and your time.
Quick to execute – Can perform several sorts in short
time that gives significant amount of data.
Established – The technique has been used for over 10
years, by many designers.
Involves users –Information structure suggested by a
card sort involves real users and hence it should be easier
to use.
III. PROBLEM STATEMENT
With the needs of any common searcher or a user of
website, a website also fulfils the needs of its
organization. In this era where the users are being
facilitate by electronic information, users are also facing
many problems. The major issue of interfaces or of
websites is “Usability”. Users are encountering usability
issues on the many interfaces and websites, also unable to
find their desired information on the websites. This is the
major problem of having worst “User Experience”.
IV. RESEARCH QUESTION
This research investigated how task analysis allows
user to accomplish their task and obtain the information
they require in an efficient and effective manner.
Therefore, the research question is as follow:
 How can Task analysis enhance the user
experience?
 The main research question has been split into the
following sub-questions: How does Task
Analysis influence user?
 How can Task Analysis identity areas for design
improvements?
 How can these areas be used to design?

V. AMIS AND OBJECTIVES
In order to investigate the abovementioned research
question, the study aimed to achieve the following specific
aims and objectives.
A. Aims
The research addressed the above research questions by
investigating:
 How to understand User-Centered design
techniques
 How these techniques can be leveraged for user
interface design
 What impact these techniques have on usability
adoption
B. Objectives:
The objectives of the research are:
 To understand how Task Analysis can increase the
effectiveness and efficiency of user interface
design.
 To develop a process model of user interface
design
 To develop and evaluate experimental user
interface design
VI. METHODOLOGY
A. Participants:
In order to gather the information from different users
and people from different groups related to different
domains the survey method would be used through the
method of questioner, the information would be gather
from different people. Data would be also collected from
specific group of people who are directly involved in those
domains.
B. Methodolgy:

Proceedings of 2nd International Multi-Disciplinary Conference 19-20 December 2016 Gujrat, Pakistan
Task Analysis technique would be used to check the
usability of existing websites. Through the Task Analysis
the websites would be evaluated. The comparison of
different websites in Pakistan would be done.
In next phase card sorting technique, would be used to
have a view of user that which kind of website or platform
a user needs to have.
In the last phase, the modification in the website would
be done according to the need of user and demand of the
era. Through task analysis the redesigned website would
be evaluated.
VII. EXPECTED RESULT
By evaluating existing website through Task Analysis
it would be helpful to overcome the shortcomings or flaws
of existing websites. By using survey method, will gather
information what are the need of user and it would be
helpful for redesigning the website and with the help of
Task analysis redesigned website would be reevaluate to
enhance the usability of the website.
VIII. SIGNIFICANCE
With the deployment of proposed method a new design
would be developed to facilitate user and to enhance the
usability. The proposed design would be according to the
need of user so it can be easy for user to fulfil its goal by
performing same tasks which was not fulfilling the need of
user in existing website.
REFERENCES
[1] Speicher, Maximilian. "What is Usability? A
Characterization based on ISO 9241-11 and ISO/IEC
25010." arXiv preprint arXiv:1502.06792 (2015).
[2] Nielsen, Jakob. "Usability 101: Introduction to
usability." (2003).
[3] Lapin, Kristina. "Task analysis."
[4] Embrey, David. "Task analysis techniques." Human
Reliability Associates Ltd 1 (2000).
[5] Scheiber, Florian, et al. "Software Usability in Small
and Medium Sized Enterprises in Germany: An
Empirical Study." Software for people. Springer
Berlin Heidelberg, 2012. 39-52.
[6] O’Connor, Rory V. "Exploring the role of usability in
the software process: A study of irish software smes."
European Conference on Software Process
Improvement. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2009.
[7] Smith, Stephen M., et al. "Advances in functional and
structural MR image analysis and implementation as
FSL." Neuroimage 23 (2004): S208-S219.
[8] Aubert, Benoit A. "The impact of interface quality on
trust in web retailers." Cahier du GReSI no 1 (2001):
05.
[9] Embrey, David. "Task analysis techniques." Human
Reliability Associates Ltd 1 (2000).
[10] David E. Kieras. “ GOMS Models- Simplified
Cognitive Architectures” (2016)
[11] John, Bonnie E., and David E. Kieras. "Using GOMS
for user interface design and evaluation: Which
technique?." ACM Transactions on Computer-
Human Interaction (TOCHI) 3.4 (1996): 287-319.
[12] Brooke, John. "Usability, change, adaptable systems
and community computing." Proceedings Fourth
International Conference on Human-Computer
Interaction. Vol. 2. 1991.
[13] Rocha, Álvaro. "Framework for a global quality
evaluation of a website." Online Information
Review 36.3 (2012): 374-382.
[14] Lew, Philip, Luis Olsina, and Li Zhang. "Quality,
quality in use, actual usability and user experience as
key drivers for web application
evaluation." International Conference on Web
Engineering. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2010.
[15] Speicher, Maximilian, Andreas Both, and Martin
Gaedke. "Inuit: The Interface Usability
Instrument." International Conference of Design,
User Experience, and Usability. Springer
International Publishing, 2015.
[16] Hudson, William. "Card sorting." The Encyclopedia
of Human-Computer Interaction, 2nd Ed. (2013).