A task flow maps out the key steps a user goes through to complete a specific task in a clear, linear sequence. They’re a helpful UX design tool for creating efficient, user-friendly interfaces. In this article, you’ll get the skinny on how to create them, their benefits and the differences between them and similar tools.
Key Takeaways
- Task flows provide a structured, linear sequence of actions for users to complete specific goals, enhancing efficiency and reducing confusion.
- Effective task flows incorporate key components such as user actions, decision points, and visual elements, which help designers create intuitive interfaces.
- Task flows differ from other types of flows by focusing solely on specific tasks without branching options, while user flows offer a broader view of user interactions and decisions.
What is task flow?
At its core, a task flow is a linear flowchart that outlines the basic path a user takes to complete a specific task within a digital product.
A step-by-step guide, detailing each action they must take to achieve their goal.
Unlike user flows, which focus on include various user choices and multiple paths or a wireflow which gets into UI design, a task flow is a straightforward, high level visual representation of only the essential steps a user takes to reach their goal.
What’s the purpose of a task flow?
A task flow diagram aims to give a simplified view of the path a user takes, enabling them to achieve their goals efficiently. Their linear nature, which intentionally exclude design elements and the specifics of user flows, helps in identifying potential pain points, allowing designers to address issues before they become significant problems.
Think of them as a bird’s-eye view of task completion, just the highest level steps required to achieve a goal.
If your placing an order on DoorDash, for example, the task flow would be:
A user flow, on the other hand, would include all the other pathways a user can take, like choosing to pick up food, going back to add more items, adding tip or other payment options, etc.
A user journey map would include how someone becomes aware of DoorDash in the first place and their feelings throughout their experience with the company.
More examples below, but you see how they build on each other?
Dig deeper into the user journey vs user flow concepts.
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Why task flows matter for UX design
Let’s be real for a minute—navigating a complex app or website without a clear path can be as frustrating as trying to navigate the menu at Cheesecake Factory.
Task flows are there to quiet the noise, acting like a gentle guide through the chaos. They matter because they prevent users from feeling lost or overwhelmed and they lay the blueprint for a smooth, intuitive interaction. Let’s break it down.
Simplify navigation
They provide clear and simple steps to follow, serving as your design and development to ensure the pathways you build aren’t chock full of confusion. When users know exactly what to do next, they’re more likely to complete tasks quickly.
Boost engagement
A well-planned task flow leads to cleaner user flow, which in turn can increase user satisfaction, keeping them engaged and on your platform longer. Bottom line: when users can easily achieve their goals, they’re more likely to return.
Reduce frustration
By anticipating user needs, task flows help prevent common usability issues like dead ends or confusing navigation, leading to a smoother, more enjoyably crispy user experience.
Comparing task flows with other UX tools
When it comes to UX design, there’s no shortage of tools and techniques to help improve user experience.
The differences between task flow, user flow, wireflow, flowcharts and user journey matter though. They all work together to help you make better design choices, so understanding the nuances of each is key.
Let’s unravel how task flows fit into the bigger design picture and how they complement and enhance other methods in your toolkit.
User flow vs task flow
A user flow maps out a broader range of interactions and decisions made by a user, including insights into all possible paths users might take from where they enter your site or app to goal completion.
In contrast, a task flow UX diagram zeros in on specific, goal-oriented actions without the branching options. Another way to understand the difference is that user flows can include multiple tasks, task flows highlight one.
See 10 more user flow diagram examples or get going with a user flow template.
Wireflow vs task flow
Wireflows combine wireframes and user flow elements, offering screen-level guidance on the actions a user takes in-app or on-site. They’re used in the later stages of the UX design process when you’re getting into user interface mode and need to visualize exactly how a user moves between various screens.
Task flows serve solely to highlight the sequence of actions needed to complete a single goal, without including detailed screen layouts or branching paths.
User journey vs task flow
A user journey, or customer journey mapping, takes the biggest-picture approach by showing the entire end-to-end experience user personas have with your product or service, from awareness to post-purchase behavior. They highlight the touchpoints and emotions users encounter from start to finish.
Meanwhile, task flows focus on the specific details of completing a task, emphasizing the steps without the broader emotional context. User journeys capture the full narrative, task flows detail the actions needed to achieve particular objectives.
A task flow is like the foundational building block for the rest of the other tools here.
Get started with our user journey map template.
Task flow examples from the real world
Let’s take a gander at how a task flow looks in the wild with some examples from day-to-day life.
Ecommerce task flow
At this point, we all take the ease of online shopping for granted and are used to pain free experience. We can thank task flows and user flows for that.
Check this comparison of a task flow for a purchase vs a corresponding user flow.
The user flow meanwhile involves the details of many more individual tasks, here’s just the log in user flow:
Subscription signup task flow for Notion
We’re big fans of processes and streamlining the flow of projects we’re working on. Heck, we even built project management capabilities into our own tools.
The task flow for signing up for a Notion subscription would look like this:
A user flow, on the contrary, would have many more branches. For example, to create an account a user could choose to sign up with a click using Google, Apple or SSO or punch in their work email address.
Tools for diagramming task flows
Visualizing a task flow is pretty straightforward, well, task, when using the right tool.
As we touched on earlier, task flows tend to be your most basic building blocks for user experience design. They inform the sitemap, they guide user flow and user journey creation and are helpful during UI design.
A tool like Slickplan can help you develop ideas through the entire site planning process.
Use Diagram Maker to create task and user flows, linking both directly sitemap pages inside our Sitemap Builder and perfect your UI wireframes and wireflow by integrating Figma into Design Mockups.
A one-stop-shop that even includes content planning and project management.
Other task and user flow tools include Overflow, Miro, Whimsical and, of course, you can create task and user flows in Figma.
How to create a task flow
By now you’re well aware that a task flow is all about visualizing a particular goal linearly. No multiple paths, no emotional consideration, no fluff – just cold, hard steps.
Define user goals
Understand the specific outcome users want from each task because knowing the end goal helps shape the flow effectively.
List required actions and order them sequentially
Outline each step a user must take, removing any unnecessary actions to streamline the process into only the essential steps needed to accomplish a task.
Visualize the flow
Use a flow diagram to represent the task flow step-by-step. Visualization is ultimately the key to simplification.
Test and refine
Continuously test task flows and refine them based on user feedback. This iterative approach keeps user experience frying on all cylinders.
How to leverage user feedback to refine task flows
Quality feedback is like having a golden ticket to improve what you’ve built. Optimizing tasks based on user feedback isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s crucial if you want your digital product to truly resonate.
By carefully listening to real users, you can uncover insights and pain points that might not have been apparent during the design phase.
Here’s how it’s done.
Collect user insights
First things first, ya gotta get the info. Gather feedback using surveys and usability testing to understand how real users interact with your product.
Adapt to pain points
Use task flows to simplify complex tasks or break down steps if you see users consistently facing the same challenges.
Iterate based on analytics
Monitor where users drop off in the flow. Use this data to identify problem areas and adjust the flow to reduce complexity and improve conversion rates.
Start improving UX/UI today with task flows
Task flows provide a structured approach to mapping out user interactions. They help UX designers identify potential points of confusion, streamline user actions and improve overall site or app usability. By using these as a baseline, designers can create more intuitive and user-friendly interfaces.
Ready to get going? Jump into our Diagram Maker today (and get 14 days for free)!
Think visually. Improve UX with Slickplan
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Frequently asked questions
What is a task flow in UX design?
A task flow in UX design is a structured representation that outlines the key steps users take to complete a specific task, providing the most clear and direct path to follow.
What's the difference between task flow vs user flow?
A task flow concentrates on specific, linear tasks, whereas user flows provide a comprehensive view of interactions and decisions, which can include multiple tasks and pathways a user might take.
What are the key components of a task flow?
The key components of a task flow are user actions, decision points and visual elements (aka flowchart symbols), which work together to map the task flow and clarify interactions.
Why are task flows important in UX design?
Task flows are crucial in UX design as they're another tool in the arsenal to enhance usability by creating clarity, identifying potential user struggles and minimizing errors.
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