Unit 4 · Lesson 14 of 20
Choose a method and write useful tasks
Design an evaluation whose tasks and observations answer a decision.
01 / Learn
The idea
Begin with the decision: should the kiosk flow be changed before rollout, and where? A formative usability study can show how people interpret and use the flow. Recruit participants who reflect key users and contexts, including people with access needs. Give them a realistic goal rather than naming the control you want them to click. Observe actions, hesitation, error recovery, and the handoff to staff.
A task scenario should set motivation and starting conditions without revealing the path. 'You have arrived for your appointment and need to let the clinic know' leaves room to see what the participant chooses. 'Tap Check In and enter your code' tests instruction following instead. Plan what will count as task completion, what to do if the prototype cannot truly notify staff, and which claims a small study cannot support.
Asking users whether a page seems easy proves that they can complete the task. Observe task behavior and use opinions as complementary evidence.
02 / See the reasoning
Worked example
Fictional scenario
A clinic wants to learn whether people can complete an appointment kiosk check-in without staff help.
An expert brings a participant into a simulated lobby with a ticket kiosk and nearby signs. They ask the participant to arrive for an appointment, then watch whether the person can identify a completion signal without prompting. They note when staff help is requested and ask afterward what the participant thinks happened. The simulation cannot prove the real clinic's staff system works.
Try a decision →03 / Decide
Guided decision
Which first study task is least likely to lead participants?
Feedback on your choice
What could change the answer: If the research question is specifically whether a known control's target can be activated by a motor-impaired user, a more directed task may be appropriate.
This feedback helps you examine the decision; it does not grade your written reasoning.
Apply it somewhere new →04 / Apply elsewhere
Independent application
Fictional scenario
An enterprise analyst needs to export a report with sensitive fields removed.
Write two realistic tasks, define completion and failure, name representative participants, and list observations that reveal whether the export is understood and safe.
Make: A one-page formative test plan with task scripts, observations, and study limitations.
The participant tasks match the decision, avoid naming controls, and the observations can reveal both success and misunderstanding.
Lesson complete
You applied the method in a new context.
You studied the idea, tested a decision, and made an artifact for a new context. Keep the reasoning for your next UX question.
05 / Keep working