Predict Expert Task Time With CogTool

No matter which company I work for or what type of usability position I hold, I always include CogTool as part of my research process. In the past, I’ve used it to sell my argument that use of a particular widget is a time-saver, to select a more efficient workflow, and to demonstrate how using this application for projects requiring quick turnaround can shave user research time significantly.

Unless you spend a lot of time with HCI researcher, Bonnie John, you may not be familiar with CogTool. Cognitive modeling is known to be incredibly time consuming and requires intensive training to accurately predict performance. Bonnie developed CogTool in an effort to simplify the task time prediction process to bring more designers into this type of user research.

Designers use a storyboard to map out a workflow using screenshots (or wireframes, sketches, etc). With a couple of clicks, CogTool spits out the predicted expert use task time. For those interested in the nitty gritty, export the cognitive details (ACT-R trace) or view a visualization of the task timeline.

What makes this a key tool for your user research arsenal is that you can compare expert use task time without recruiting participants for a think aloud study. This makes it an excellent choice for completely new systems that don’t already have “experts”. Run a couple of workflow paths through CogTool to determine which would be most efficient. I've done a few studies using both CogTool and think aloud testing, finding that the end result for both methods always results in the same design recommendation. Whenever appropriate, I like to run CogTool as an alternative usability testing.

It is important to note that CogTool does not help understand why users complete certain actions. It does not predict decisions or account for errors. It is simply there to predict expert use task time with no errors along a predetermined path. What that means is that many workflow decisions will be easier to make. It’s hard to argue with time predictions down to the millisecond. I’ve found that CogTool predictions leave stakeholders speechless.

For more information about CogTool, I highly recommend visiting Bonnie John’s site to read related research and download the application and tutorial. It won’t cost you anything. There’s nothing better than a free product that saves you time.