How to do a task flow analysis

[Sabrina Sampey]

Overview  

What is a task flow analysis? 

A step-by-step analysis of how one or many users will interact with a system in order to reach a goal. 

Outcomes 

• Identify key steps a user will take to move through a task 
• Insights into who will be part of the flow, and where handoffs happen
• Important information at each step and what user actions are needed 
• Opportunities to improve the flow 
• Aligning your stakeholders, PM, design and engineering teams on the experience and challenges users experience completing a task  

Participants 

• 6-12 stakeholders that have deep understanding of users and the business process. Ideally you would also have It is ideal to include customers actual users in this stage. 

Materials & environment 

In Person Session 

• Sticky notes, Permanent markers 
• Dry erase markers 
• Butcher wall paper or white board 
• Large conference room – so participants can walk around and interact with materials 

Virtual Session 

• Online white board collaboration tool (Miro, Mural, Figjam, etc) 

Before you start 

1. Set up your online collaboration space, or in person conference room. If you are doing this in person use different color sticky notes for the symbol types
2. Defined the goals for each person involved in the task, persons themselves, and the specific task you will be focusing on

 
Directions 

1. List the task name, and all the people that will be involved in this task.   
2. Create a symbol library with different shapes to show start/goal, end/outcome, user action, decision condition, and system action.   In person use colors to show the different states
3. Next, designate a swim lane for each person. By doing this you will see where each person interacts with the task flow.   
4. Write out the goals for each person in their swim lane. Throughout the flow you want to see if they were able to achieve these goals.  
5. Next use the start symbol and put it in the swim lane of the person who initiates the task. Next add the appropriate symbol to the person it goes to next, in the appropriate swim lane, connecting with arrows. Remember to use the proper symbols. You want to see if it is a user action, system action or if there is a decision to be made. Continue to do this until you have completed the task.  
6. Use the end/outcome symbol in the appropriate lane to show this.  
7. Review the task flow and see if each person was able to fulfill their goal through this task flow. Dig into the decision conditions and elaborate on what those decisions are.  
8. Once this is complete you should have a good depiction of what needs to happen in order to fulfill this task. You can use this to test in the experience whether or not this task flow is achievable and easy to navigate, and also use this as a test case for walking through and checking for usability issues with your customers.

Example

[Tim Engstrom]

I take a different approach as this can be a little much for clients. I use FigJam, with sticky notes, in a cloud burst function. I work at discovering problems and addressing assumptions. Understanding where they are, why they chose ServiceNow, and what they hope to gain. We address how they want to their users to succeed. 

This may sound a bit foofey, but creates a path and conversation to present solutions based on workflows. I have found that creating a space for them to empathize puts in a better place to talk about tasks and what that will mean to the user. In the end we are trying to get the user to solve business problems, which in turn means behavioral changes. 

Its great to see how others tackle the same problems. It shows how each person has their own unique experience associated with their process! Love UX and the diverse conversations!

[AJ Siegel]

So excited to see conversations like this on the SIG. Thanks for sharing your perspective Tim!

It sounds like your approach is almost the prequel to get to deeper task analysis. By building empathy and recognizing that "I am not the user", it may unlock a stakeholder's willingness to be curious and learn from the user.

I would also say that it doesn't make sense to do this method for every item in a catalog or new process, but focus on high-complexity, high-value processes that a customer hopes to transform by using the ServiceNow platform

Not necessarily for:

1. I need a new mouse
2. Give me access to system XXX

Maybe for:

1. I need a new laptop
2. I am going on leave

Definitely for:

1. Planning executive travel involving private aircraft, runways, cars, luggage, visas
2. Workflow to publish updated technical manuals for complex military equipment
3. Placing children into a foster home and managing their care from the perspective of the government.

[Tim Engstrom]

As long as the stakeholders are willing to answer the "why" questions as you flesh out the task flow I can definitely see the usefulness. I am all about the reasoning behind decisions and to find the underlying truths as well as opening my eyes problems we didn't uncover prior. 

And this is just more of my experience with stakeholders, but sussing out the why they want a specific flow has the potential to get defensive. I have had responses like - "Facebook does it and they are successful, so lets copy them".