1. Activity Flow Design - or - Organizing the users’ Work
Gabriel Spitz
Activity Flow Design - or - Organizing the users’ Work
Types of activity flow

2. Gabriel Spitz
Activity Flow
Activity flow deals with the dynamic aspects of the User Interface
When designing the activity flow we need to:
Describe the way in which a specific outcome will be achieved using our UI
Describe the rules and regulations that will govern the flow
Designing the Activity Flow is often referred to as interaction design

3. Activity Flow or Interaction Design
Gabriel Spitz
Activity Flow or Interaction Design
Design of Activity Flow is based on our previously identified user tasks and the task analysis which we created and which describe how tasks are organized to support a given activity
During Activity Flow design we decompose the tasks into a set of actions and organize them in a way that is:
Logical – from a business perspective
Meaningful – from a user perspective
Integrated – from a work perspective
This organization will represent what we want the user to do in order to achieve a specific goal

4. Gabriel Spitz
Focus of Activity Flow
Activity Flow is concerned with what we want the user to do – the sequence of actions to be taken
It is separate and distinct from how we want the user to accomplish a given task
It is logical to assume that we:
First decide what we want the user to do
Then decide how it should be done
But, in reality the two design steps – UI design and Interaction design are performed in parallel and inform each other

5. What vs. How of an Activity Flow
Gabriel Spitz
Specifying the scope of a vacation
What vs. How of an Activity Flow
What
How
Select the desired services
Specify departure city
Specify departure date
Specify desired departure time
Specify destination city
Specify Return date
Specify return time
Specify no. rooms
Specify travelers categories
Entering Data
Selecting

6. What is Activity Flow Design
Gabriel Spitz
What is Activity Flow Design
Activity flow design focuses on how a unit of work and user actions flow
The flow or structure of the unit of work is often unique to a given application and business domain
In controlling users actions we often adhere to more generalizable principles that include:
How actions are chunked – to support closure
E.g. Select  Ship  Pay
The flexibility we give users in adhering to a recommended sequence of actions
E.g., Cannot enter shipping address before selecting an item
The guidance we provide users the user through the interaction
E.g., user guide, bubble help, etc.

7. Gabriel Spitz

8. Gabriel Spitz 1 1 3 2
Poor Flow
Good Flow

9. Objective of Activity Flow Design
Gabriel Spitz
Objective of Activity Flow Design
Is to help user navigate through the interface effectively and efficiently
It includes:
The flow of users’ action at the interface and the rules governing the flow
The support that the interface provides to guide and constrain users’ action

10. How Should Activity Flow – Some Determinants
Gabriel Spitz
How Should Activity Flow – Some Determinants
Business factors
Sequence in which tasks have to be executed
Privileges & Roles
Users’ factors
Flexibility
Closure
Guidance

11. Business Factors and Activity Flow
Gabriel Spitz
Business Factors and Activity Flow
Business factors are critical in determining the flow of action within a component or information space
Example:
Merchandise can be ordered for established customers only
Claims in access of $ must be handled by a senior consultant
Trip can not be saved without paying for it
But, always question the validity and criticality of business rules, particularly when they conflict with users needs

12. Business Driven Activity Flow
Gabriel Spitz
Business Driven Activity Flow

13. Activity Flow – Different Perspectives
Gabriel Spitz
Activity Flow – Different Perspectives
Creating a claim folder
Developer’s flow
Open a folder
Name folder
Specify type of claim (car, home, etc.)
Enter identification info.
Insert supporting documents
Save
User’s preferred flow
Open a folder
Insert supporting documents
Enter identification info.
Specify type of claim
Name folder
Save

14. Issues in Designing Activity Flow - Behavior
Gabriel Spitz
Issues in Designing Activity Flow - Behavior
Degree of flexibility offered in the order and manner in which tasks are executed
Number and nature of breakpoints offered to users during the interaction
Nature and extent of guidance offered users during task execution

15. Activity Flow – How Much Flexibility
Gabriel Spitz
Activity Flow – How Much Flexibility
Instinctive answer
Provide users with maximum freedom
Constraining the activity flow has several benefits
Eliminate path that have no closure due to business rules
My system enables me to download applications, but then prevents me from installing them
Increase consistency of usage
Always going through the same sequence of steps helps the user build a coherent conceptual model of the application
Reduce users’ mental workload
Eliminates the need to decide what should be the next task

16. Activity Flow – Designing Flexibility
Gabriel Spitz
Activity Flow – Designing Flexibility
From an interface designer perspective we provide or limit activity flow flexibility through the type of flow we impose on user’s actions
Actions in an activity flow can be parallel or Independent
Actions in an activity flow can be sequential
Actions in an activity flow can and often are a mix of both

17. Activity Flow Options To Subject Attach Content MS outlook Parallel
Gabriel Spitz
Activity Flow Options To
Subject
Attach
Content
MS outlook
Parallel
Wizard
Sequential
Excel Graph
Sequential, but – user can select the path

18. Sequential Activity Flow
Gabriel Spitz
Sequential Activity Flow
Tool
Widget
Activity
Setting

19. Adding an Image in PP- Mixed Activity Flow
Gabriel Spitz
Adding an Image in PP- Mixed Activity Flow
Instruct – to insert
Sequential
Select a shape
Modify Shape
Resize, Re-color, Add shape
Parallel

20. Activity Flow - Limiting Flexibility
Gabriel Spitz
Activity Flow - Limiting Flexibility
When confining the activity flow to a specific path
Make it visible
Avoid hiding dependency e.g., an account has to be established before an order can be placed
Adopt paths that are “natural” to users not to the computer
You first select a document to print and then print

21. Restricting Activity Flow
Gabriel Spitz
Restricting Activity Flow
There are several ways to restrict or constraint the flow of users activity at the interface
Leading them down a path – Wizard
Blocking off certain paths – disabling commands
Aiding them – task list
Guiding then - Help

22. Constraining Activity flow – Users Needs
Gabriel Spitz
Constraining Activity flow – Users Needs
Users feel that they need maximum flexibility in the order in which they perform a unit of work
However, constraining the Activity flow has several benefits including:
Eliminate path that have no closure due to business rules
Increase consistency of usage
Reduce users’ mental workload

23. Gabriel Spitz
Key Points
Activity Flow deals with the sequence in which activities are executed
Sequence of activities is driven by User, Business, & Work factors
Primary consideration when designing Activity Flow are Flexibility, Guidance, & Closure