GR1 - User and Task Analysis
User Analysis
Users' names changed for privacy
User 1: Undergraduate Sophomore at MIT
John is a twenty-year-old college sophomore who is, at this point, unsure of his summer plans. He is studying Management Science, and hopes to be working in New York or Boston (if not this summer, then next!). He is from a secluded part of St. Louis, and enjoys the privacy of a humble Midwestern town.
Means of communication. This user mainly communicates with friends and acquaintances via text messaging or email. He is not a huge fan of other social media outlets, but "would use something that's a completely new service, or if I was given some sort of incentive to sign up."
Travel plans. John generally makes travel plans independently (i.e., without consulting friends) or with the aid of his parents. He says, "I wouldn't go out of my way to find someone else who was going to the same place, but if I did know of anyone who was, either specifically or through a mutual friend, then I would try to coordinate our travel plans." John is not aware of his friends' summer plans, though he and several of his friends are still in the process of making them.
Information security. Internet security is something that John values; he shares his personal details (phone number, home address, etc.) with only his close friends. He wouldn't mind sharing some broader personal information, such as his email address or general summer plans, with the general MIT community.
Task Analysis
1. Registration and Joining a Group
2. Messaging Your Group
3. Inputting Summer Plans
Goal: User enters his/her general summer plans into the web interface, which will allow other users in the group to view these plans.
Preconditions/Subtasks: Before completing this task, the user needs to know his/her summer plans in addition to relevant website details, such as login name and password. This task should only need to be performed once or a few times (if the user's summer plans change) for one particular season. This is a task that should be easily learnable and efficient, as the user will only be discouraged by the website and the service if the interface is difficult to use.
Exceptions: The user could mistakenly enter incorrect information, so he/she should be able to easily change or undo these actions. Another exception could arise from a lost network connection.
4. Advertising / Bulletin
Goal: On the bulletin page, users can advertise within the group for specific needs (i.e., "Roommate wanted"). This could also be a place where users make day-to-day plans with other group members.
Preconditions/Subtasks: The user would need to know specific details regarding what he/she is advertising or looking for. This task could be performed often (even multiple times in one session) and by many users, so efficiency and easy learnability are essential.
Exceptions: As with many other operations, the user could enter incorrect information, so an undo/edit operation would be necessary. Another point of confusion could arise when a user posts an advertisement on the bulletin that is claimed by another user soon thereafter, but if the advertisement is not taken down, then other users may still think that the item is available.
5. Profile to Publish Information
Goal: Each user will have a profile page, where his/her personal information will be displayed to other members of the group.
Preconditions: The user must be logged in.
Subtasks: Click the "my profile" button, click the "edit my profile" button, change any of the fields (name, age, year, major, phone number, address), click the "save changes" button
6. Viewing the Map
Goal: Each user will be able to view a map, which will display .
Preconditions: The user must be logged in.
Subtasks: Click the "view map" button from any page, click and drag the mouse / scroll wheel to move the map and zoom, respectively.