Task Models in Interactive Software Systems

Task models are logical descriptions of the activities to be performed in reaching user's goals. They have shown to be useful for designing, analysing and evaluating interactive software applications. This chapter introduces the main concepts underlying task models and discusses how they can be represented and, then, used in the various phases of the life cycle. 1. Introduction Interest in design and development of interactive software applications has increased considerably over recent years. The underlying reason for this interest is the need to allow the greatest number of people access to software applications for the largest number of purposes and in the widest number of contexts. However, making systems easier to use implies taking into account many factors in the design of an interactive application, such as tasks to support, context of use, user preferences, media and interaction techniques available, and so on. It is thus important to have structured methods for allowing designers to manage such a complexity.