Goals and tasks
As a tool, the software needs to help users complete tasks, but in interaction design, the task is not the most important. For example, the front Google example, the user's task is to perform a search, but in fact, the user wants to find something, it is the user's goal, the goal is a result, and the task is just a target of the target. Interaction should be laid around the user's goal, and try to reduce and optimize the task. If the target cannot be achieved, it is also useless to design the task.
For example, it is also an e-commerce website. Is it a separate use case? What should I design? Take the target / task to find it is obvious, why can users manage shopping carts? Is it his goal for the management of a shopping cart? No, if you don't want to shop, he manages the shopping cart. This time, the whole interaction should be carried around shopping, shopping is a complete process, how to be more direct, more convenient, more memorable, is the focus of design .
Suppose there is a project group when developing a corporate application, Mr. Wang said that I need a detailed data report every month, let's get to each number, and even provide a paper report format, saying that Such.
Figure 2, the user took out the report format.
At this time, if you do not think, the project team feels that you need to develop a report module for the system, then start thinking how to optimize this module, let it be more friendly, but really? What is the print report, is it a task or a goal? If you have learned, the project team found that Mr. Wang's real goal is to control each month, find some changes and trends. At this time, a chart used to compare data is clearer, so software interaction design It is different from the original, and it is not necessary to realize the task of reported earlier, and the software reaches Mr. Wang's goal, he will only be more satisfied.
Target type
From the object of software, the target is divided into personal goals, organizational goals, and sometimes consider the target of organizational service objects.
Organizational goals may include: Improve the image of the organization (we have implemented computerization, more advanced than other single-level units), reduce cost, speeding business processing, providing better customer service, etc. For example, an inventory management system, including invasive management, outbound management, recession management, link management, lending and return management, inventory management, but what is the target of the organization? Is these functions? No, the organization's goal may save costs (can meet business needs, lower stocks means less storage space, fewer security expenses, greater funding flexibility), speed up shipping (If the software query is inventory, just a minute, while the original way is an hour), then improves in business competition and customer satisfaction.
Personal goals include helping themselves, do not make mistakes, look at their own business, keep self-respect, not being launched, do not hinder their other work, keep your mood pleasure (above these can consider common personal goals) and so on. Organizational goals are ultimately need to be implemented by meeting personal goals, because organizations do not undertake actual work, all work require individuals to do.
As for the target of the service object, if it is provided directly to the customer, it will also have a considerable impact on the software interaction design.
There is a train ticket ticket system, it is very convenient to have a ticket, a shortcut key is possible, and the seat is delivered in real time, but it is very troublesome when many tickets, you need additional numbers, at this time, direct user - The window ticket sellers always have a ticket every time, so that her operation is very fast, not delay the time and make the window to raise the Long Dragon, but encountering a traveler, but always is not satisfied, because They said: "Buy two to × × tickets", but the seat taken is not together, sometimes even one in the car, one in another carriage (if you just encounter a chamber), if you bring a child, And some baggage, I would like to know how much troubles brought to passengers. In this way, the passengers keep complaining to the ticket seventh, and also think that the service of the railway company is too bad, because there is no target of the user's object of the user (Is all the passengers take a train?), The same harm the user's individual Goals and organization goals. And this problem, as long as the reasonable interaction design is performed, you can make everyone satisfied and will not damage the interests of who. Interacting for the goal, you can find problems from different angles, and you can make a solution of many truly points. User's objectives and tasks are often different. It is easy to see that the objectives often need to explore and carefully examine, and consider the actual context environment, for example, in the case of the report, you can pay attention to some simple questions: " What are these reports to do? Why do you need them? "
For different goals, for example, I have seen someone in the Internet cafes sitting in the screen and opened four or five QQ windows. I didn't have fun chatting with netizens. I don't do anything else. In this case QQ is very suitable, from time to time, the sound of the sound, the avatar, the colorful interface and the expression, so that this chat is very interesting, even this time advertisements are also added to the lively, embellish the chat process, their goals It is hoped to chat more fun; but there are still many people, they are doing something else (may be a job), while opening the chat window, this time, the user's goal has changed, and the chat is not the main behavior, but The activities, and don't want to chat to interrupt what you are going on. Therefore, MSN, which is simple, and less behavior, of course, Tencent now has TM software suitable for the office, new The news will not be jumped, only a small automatic prompt (this little tip regarding the number of information "is quite friendly), the interface is also a lot of simplicity, which is really good news for the latter part.
Figure 3, the small bubble on the left is the message status prompt of the TM. It also has an automatic pop-up message prompt dialog, which also appears in the lower right corner.
Mission
After determining the target, the specific task still needs to be fine, because the goal is as a guide, and the task is to really help the user, let the user feel, some of the very detailed interactions will also appear in the implementation of the task.
Some of the very successful software, such as the previous QQ, this largest Chinese instant information exchange tool, which occasionally there will be some shortcomings in the interaction design of the task, such as QQ, to the current version (including the latest TM ), There has always been this regrettable small problem: Figure 4, QQ automatic reply function, what will the next sentence? @ # ¥ #% ...?
Is it necessary to mechanically reply? Whenever you lose a sentence, the automatic reply will be enthusiastic to actively actively and can't wait to squat out. If it is not a conversation mode, it will flash in the lower right corner. From the side of the initiative message, if you don't want to send a few messages, you have to see this reply once again. At the same time, the message is not seen that the other party has received such a reply. The news on his side is completely normal. If the message is not careful, I forgot to change the automatic reply state, and directly to the other party, what is the state? Suppose the following conversation:
in? Do not bother you in your work, this weekend department organizes the badminton work, don't disturb the last time? Yes, don't booked 3 pm, OK? Do not disturb in OK work
On the goal of instant communication, QQ has no deviation, just embodied in the design of the task, which is a sensation of not thoughtful behavior, not taken into account the effects of the user to see and use during the specific context.
Outlook contact management is very powerful, but it only supports the name and email address lookup, which is inconvenient: Figure 5, find the contact when looking up the mobile phone number, "There is no item in this view" is not Friendly prompt information.
Task carving is a more detailed design activity, you need to find the actual activity of users, their specific behavior mode, and to check the background environment that is designed to occur.
to sum up
Software is a tool that occurs in the process of interacting with users, so software as a tool requires consideration of the user's goal, where the user's personal target cannot be ignored, because the organization goal needs to be achieved by personal work. In this process, it is necessary to carefully distinguish the task from the target, designed for the target, and finally, the interaction design of the task should also be accustomed to the use of specific usage scenarios and user behavior, so that the software is in each small Where you can meet your needs.
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