Task Models And Diagrams For User Interface Design

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Task Models and Diagrams for User Interface Design, TAMODIA 2009, held in Brussels, Belgium, in September 2009. The 12 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions for inclusion in the book. The workshop features current research and gives some indication of the new directions in which task analysis theories, methods, techniques and tools are progressing. The papers are organized in topical sections on business process, design process, model driven approach, task modeling, and task models and UML.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Task Models and Diagrams for User Interface Design, TAMODIA 2007, held in Toulouse, France, in November 2007. The workshop features current research and gives some indication of the new directions in which task analysis theories, methods, techniques and tools are progressing. The papers are organized in topical sections.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Task Models and Diagrams for User Interface Design, TAMODIA 2006, held in Hasselt, Belgium. More than 20 papers cover such topics as tool support, model-based interface development, user interface patterns, task-centered design, multi-modal user interfaces, reflections on tasks and activities in modeling, as well as context and plasticity.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Task Models and Diagrams for User Interface Design, TAMODIA 2006, held in Hasselt, Belgium. More than 20 papers cover such topics as tool support, model-based interface development, user interface patterns, task-centered design, multi-modal user interfaces, reflections on tasks and activities in modeling, as well as context and plasticity.

Nowadays, the advent of the wireless Internet and the rapid expanding of novel technologies on the mass market have represented a tremendous stimulus for pushing the development of interactive systems able to encompass support for a larger and larger variety of users, tasks, devices and contexts. In this thesis we present the benefits of using task models in the various steps of the lifecycle of an interactive application. Indeed, we show how they can play an important role in the requirements elicitation phase for example, by requiring precise definition of temporal relationships between the different activities that should be performed, so avoiding any ambiguities. Furthermore, we describe how task models may be exploited in software development beyond early analysis as they can provide valuable information for the design of interactive applications through a number of criteria specifying how to use the data contained in task models to drive the design of the user interface. Additionally, we analyse how they can be used for verification purposes, in order to check some properties of the modelled system (in combination with other models), so improving the level of confidence towards the system, which can be relevant especially in safety-critical contexts. Lastly, we show the benefits that can be gained from using task models in the usability evaluation phase, through a systematic analysis of the impact that the deviations from an expected task plan could have on the quality of the overall system.

"Object Modeling and User Interface Design merges theories with practical techniques to create methods for the design to today's systems. By reading this book you will gain an understanding of the benefits of integrating object-oriented analysis approaches with human computer interaction design, and learn how to systematically design interactive systems for their human users."--BOOK JACKET.

"Hackos and Redish wisely offer us the three things we most need about user and task analysis: practical advice, practical advice, and practical advice." -Ben Shneiderman, University of Maryland "This book is well written, thorough, and loaded with techniques, examples, and resources that bring analysis to everyone." -Marcia L. Conner, Director of Usability & Learnability PeopleSoft, Inc. User and Task Analysis for Interface Design helps you design a great user interface by focusing on the most important step in the process -the first one. You learn to go out and observe your users at work, whether they are employees of your company or people in customer organizations. You learn to find out what your users really need, not by asking them what they want, but by going through a process of understanding what they are trying to accomplish. JoAnn Hackos and Janice (Ginny) Redish, internationally known experts in usable design, take you through a step-by-step process to conduct a user and task analysis. You learn: * How interface designers use user and task analysis to build successful interfaces * Why knowledge of users, their tasks, and their environments is critical to successful design * How to prepare and set up your site visits * How to select and train your user and task analysis team * What observations to make, questions to ask, and questions to avoid * How to record and report what you have learned to your development team members * How to turn the information you've gathered into design ideas * How to create paper prototypes of your interface design * How to conduct usability tests with your prototypes to find out if you're on the right track. This book includes many examples of design successes and challenges for products of every kind.