I'm working on improving our app's checkout process, but I keep getting stuck analyzing how users actually complete purchases. Everyone keeps mentioning I should do a "task analysis" but I'm not entirely clear what that involves. Is it just listing steps? How is this different from regular user testing? Feeling a bit lost about where to even start.
That's a great question! Task analysis is actually about breaking down each action users take into detailed steps to understand their goals, pain points, and mental models. It's more systematic than general testing - you're mapping the actual process versus what you assume happens. This guide on what is task analysis completely changed how I approach workflow improvements. It walks through different methods with practical examples that show exactly how to identify where processes break down. Really helped me structure my analysis without getting overwhelmed.