UX Task Estimator

Estimate and measure task completion metrics for UX optimization.

Core Metrics

Time on Task (ToT)

Estimated time from task start to completion.

Components:

•Reading/scanning time
•Decision time
•Input time
•System response wait time
•Navigation time

Click/Tap Count

Total interactions required to complete task.

Types:

•Navigation clicks
•Selection clicks
•Action clicks (submit, confirm)
•Corrective clicks (back, undo)

Error Rate Estimate

Likelihood of user making mistakes.

Factors:

•Input field complexity
•Ambiguous options
•Lack of validation
•Confusing labels

Estimation Framework

Reading Time

Average reading speed: 200-250 words per minute

Content Type	Time per Item
Short label	0.5 sec
Button text	0.5 sec
Sentence	2-3 sec
Paragraph	10-15 sec
Full form instructions	15-30 sec

Decision Time (Hick's Law)

Base time + (150ms × log2(options + 1))

Options	Added Time
2	~300ms
4	~450ms
8	~600ms
16	~750ms

Input Time

Input Type	Time
Click/tap	0.2 sec
Simple text (5 chars)	2 sec
Email address	4 sec
Password	3 sec
Dropdown selection	1.5 sec
Checkbox	0.5 sec
Date picker	3 sec

Navigation Time

Action	Time
Page load wait	1-3 sec
Visual scan for target	1-2 sec
Mouse/finger movement	0.3-0.5 sec
Scroll action	0.5 sec

Task Analysis Process

•List all steps in the task flow
•Categorize each step (read, decide, input, navigate)
•Apply time estimates per step
•Sum total time and count interactions
•Add buffer for errors/confusion (10-20%)

Output Format

code

# Task Analysis: [Task Name]

**Goal:** [User's objective]
**Starting Point:** [Where user begins]
**End Point:** [Task completion criteria]

## Step-by-Step Breakdown

| Step | Action | Type | Time | Clicks |
|------|--------|------|------|--------|
| 1 | Read page title | Read | 0.5s | 0 |
| 2 | Scan navigation | Read | 1.5s | 0 |
| 3 | Click "APIs" menu | Navigate | 0.5s | 1 |
| 4 | Wait for page load | Wait | 2s | 0 |
| 5 | Find target API | Read/Decide | 2s | 0 |
| 6 | Click API name | Navigate | 0.5s | 1 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Summary

| Metric | Value | Benchmark | Status |
|--------|-------|-----------|--------|
| Total time | Xs | <Ys | ✅/⚠️/❌ |
| Click count | X | <Y | ✅/⚠️/❌ |
| Decision points | X | <Y | ✅/⚠️/❌ |
| Error risk points | X | 0 | ✅/⚠️/❌ |

## Optimization Opportunities

| Step | Current | Optimized | Savings |
|------|---------|-----------|---------|
| [Step] | Xs/Xclicks | Ys/Yclicks | Z% |

## Recommendations
1. **[Change]**: Reduces [metric] by [amount]

Benchmarks by Task Type

Simple Action (view, read)

•Target: <10 seconds, <3 clicks
•Example: View dashboard stats

Standard Action (create, edit)

•Target: <30 seconds, <10 clicks
•Example: Create new item

Complex Action (configure, setup)

•Target: <2 minutes, <20 clicks
•Example: Configure integration

Wizard/Flow (multi-step)

•Target: <5 minutes, <30 clicks
•Example: Complete onboarding

Efficiency Ratios

Clicks per Goal

Total clicks ÷ number of tasks completed

Good: <5 clicks per task Acceptable: 5-10 clicks Poor: >10 clicks

Time per Click

Total time ÷ total clicks

Good: <2 seconds (user flows smoothly) Acceptable: 2-5 seconds (some thinking) Poor: >5 seconds (confusion/waiting)

Comparison Template

code

# Task Comparison: [Task Name]

| Metric | Current Design | Proposed Design | Improvement |
|--------|---------------|-----------------|-------------|
| Time on task | Xs | Ys | Z% faster |
| Click count | X | Y | Z fewer |
| Error risk | X points | Y points | Z% safer |
| Pages visited | X | Y | Z fewer |

References

For detailed estimation models: See references/estimation-models.md