From task to dialogue: task-based user interface design

Abstract

Developing user interfaces is no more a mere technical software development task; successful user interface design has to be interdisciplinary, taking into account other aspects, such as psychological, social, organisational, and cognitive aspects. It is generally accepted that the tasks, the user has to fulfil with a system to be developed should play an important role in its design. Knowing the user's tasks enables the designer to construct user interfaces reflecting the tasks' properties, including efficient usage patterns, easy-to-use interaction sequences, and powerful assistance features.