Sketching Tasks

app Developers

Recommend: Map the story to a series of sketches that represent users' tasks. Use a pencil or another erasable writing device so that you can quickly and easily revise your screen layouts, terminology, and overall design.

When you map the story to sketches, do not consider low-level details such as how users will operate the device. Concentrate on the purpose of the story and the tasks the user should be able to perform. For example, SmartTicket could be made up in part of the sketches in Table 3.1 Note that the sketches do not show navigational devices such as scroll bars and buttons.

Table 3.1. Early Sketches of SmartTicket

Sketch	Location in the Story	Tasks in the Sketch
	At app launch	None. The sketch simply shows a Splash screen that goes away after a few seconds to reveal the app.
High-level task list for the app	After the Splash screen (when the device owner already has an account)	Choose a movie Rate movies Update your account Update the theater schedules available on your device Exit the app
Choosing a movie	After the initial screen when the user chooses the Choose Movie option	Choose a theater Choose a movie Choose a time Request a seating preference Select the number of tickets to buy Show a preview Choose a movie by seeing a list of movies See which movies will be coming soon Rate movies you have seen Update your account See an About box

Recommend: Share your sketches with others to ensure your design is meeting consumers' needs. While the sketches are not a full representation of the final app, they should be complete enough to share with marketing professionals, consumers, and others in an informal manner. Sharing your sketches also enables you to check expectations. When you have a conversation about what consumers want, you can check whether your app provides it (or can easily be modified to provide it).