Task-Centered Walkthrough

By Darren Andreychuk
What is a Task-Centered Walkthrough?

 A low-cost method of evaluating an interface early in its

development

 Part of Task-Centered System Design

Task-Centered System Design
 Phase 1: Users and their tasks are identified

 Phase 2:
 Decide which users to include
 Decide which tasks to include

 Phase 3: Users and their corresponding tasks are merged

with the system design -> scenario

The goal is to tell a complete story

Task-Centered System Design

 Phase 4: Perform a task-centered walkthrough on each

scenario
How The Walkthrough Works
 Choose a task scenario from the list of scenarios
 For each step in the task scenario do the following
 Can you build a believable story that will motivate the user’s actions?
 Can you rely on the user’s expected knowledge of the system to
complete this step of the task?
 If you cannot answer yes to either of these questions then
 You have located a problem in the interface
 Note the problem and any comments, or possible solutions, that come to
mind
 Once a problem has been identified, assume it has been fixed
 Proceed to the next step in the task scenario
Walkthrough Layout
Scenario Title
# Description Does the user have Is the user motivated Comments
of step enough knowledge to do this step? Is it (and
to carry out this believable that they possible
step? would do this? solutions)
1.

2.

.
.
.
When is the Algorithm Effective?

 When you place yourself in the mind of the user

 This must be maintained throughout each scenario

 When you run the walkthrough to completion

 Finish the walkthrough even if the design is really awful and
needs to be re-done
When and Where?
 Task-centered walkthroughs are performed early in the
design process
 Usually performed on throw-away paper prototypes
before implementation even begins
 Interface Design and Usability Engineering
Articulate: Brainstorm Refined Completed
•who users are designs designs designs
Goals: •their key tasks

Task
Psychology of Graphical
centered Participatory
everyday screen
system interaction
Evaluate things design Usability Field
design
tasks User Interface testing testing
Methods: Participatory
involvement Task guidelines
design
scenario Style
User- Representation Heuristic
walk- guides
centered & metaphors evaluation
through
design

low fidelity high fidelity

prototyping prototyping
methods methods

Products: User and Throw-away Testable Alpha/beta

task paper prototypes systems or
descriptions prototypes complete
specification
Greenberg, S. Overview of Task Centered Walkthrough
Benefits
 Good for locating bugs early in the design process
 Performed on throw-away paper prototypes
 Many problems can be located before implementation begins

 Flexible
 Can be performed by a single person or by a group of people
on the design team
 Can involve actual users of the system earlier in the design
process
Limitations
 Usually carried out in the same environment the system
is being developed in
 Design team may not see the system run in the real-world

 If the walkthrough is performed as a group, it should

progress at the same pace for all members
 Design teams can get stuck on a single step in a scenario
because they are locked into a debate regarding a problem that
they found
 This can disrupt the natural flow of steps in the scenario
Example: Management System
 The Situation
 Owner of Energy Lake System of Martial Arts needs a system
that will assist him with the day-to-day affairs of his business

 Target user
 Owner of Energy Lake is a typical computer user
 Can access email, surf the web, etc.

 Task example
 Class cancelation
Example: Class Schedule Prototype
Example: Walkthrough Exercise
 Scenario 1: Last minute class cancelation
# Description Does the user have Is the user motivated Comments
of step enough knowledge to do this step? Is it (and
to carry out this believable that they possible
step? would do this? solutions)
1. Gary answers Yes Yes
his phone in
the studio. It
is Paul
phoning to
cancel his
class
tomorrow.
2. .
.
.
Task-Centered Walkthrough: Questions