Apps are often built around specific goals and tasks, and the design of the app should be centered around helping users achieve these goals and tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible. Task flow in UX design plays a key role in this process, as it helps designers understand the sequence of steps that users will go through to complete specific tasks within the app.

Task flow is a series of steps a user takes to complete a particular task at hand. In User Experience Design it can also refer to a task flow diagram a deliverable showcasing how the user is moving through the app to accomplish a particular goal.

In UX design, task flows are used to help designers understand how users might navigate through a product or service, and to identify any potential points of confusion or frustration that might arise during the process.

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Task Flow in UX Design Process

Task flows are typically created as part of the user-centered design process, and they are used to guide the design of user interfaces and interactions. Task flows can be represented visually using diagrams, wireframes, or other types of visual representations, and they can be used to inform the design of everything from website layouts and navigation to the structure and content of mobile apps and other interactive products.

There are several steps involved in the UX design process that involve considering task flow and designing user interfaces and interactions accordingly. These steps might include:

1. Defining the user goals and tasks: The first step in the UX design process is to understand what users want to achieve and the tasks they need to complete in order to achieve these goals. This might involve conducting user research, creating user personas, and defining user stories.
2. Creating a task flow diagram: Once the user goals and tasks have been defined, the next step is to create a task flow diagram that illustrates the sequence of steps that a user will go through to complete these tasks. This might involve creating a flowchart or other visual representation of the tasks and decision points that a user will encounter.
3. Designing user interfaces and interactions: Based on the task flow diagram, the next step is to design the user interfaces and interactions that will enable users to complete their tasks. This might involve creating wireframes, prototypes, or other visual representations of the user experience.
4. Testing and refining: After the initial design has been created, it’s important to test the design with users to ensure that it’s intuitive and effective. This might involve conducting usability testing, gathering feedback, and making refinements to the design as needed.

Task flow is an important part of the UX (user experience) design process, as it helps designers understand the steps that users will go through to complete specific tasks or achieve specific goals while interacting with a product or service. By considering the task flow and designing the product or service in a way that makes it easy for users to complete these tasks, designers can create a better user experience and help users achieve their goals more efficiently.

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Task Flow Examples

Apps are often built around specific goals and tasks, and the design of the app should be centered around helping users achieve these goals and tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible. Task flow in UX design plays a key role in this process, as it helps designers understand the sequence of steps that users will go through to complete specific tasks within the app.

An example of a task flow is a Sign up process. Typically it involves a very specific series of steps that every user has to take.

In case of the sign up process the steps might be as follows:

• fill out the sign up form and submit it
• confirm email
• login into the application

Perhaps this example is too simple. Let’s look at something a bit more complex.

Say a user needs to update her avatar (profile photo) in the app. The task flow in this case might looks like this:

• go to profile settings
• click on the profile image to edit or change it
• click upload new, and pick a new photo
• crop the photo
• save changes

Again, this might look like a very simple flow, but it is important to consider it in detail, and make sure every step is designed with intent.

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Task Flow Diagrams

Task flows are typically documented in a linear diagram (a flowchart) showing the steps of the path taken by the user.

Task flow diagrams are a very useful design and communication tool.

Designers use task flow diagrams to design everything from website layouts and navigation to the structure and content of mobile apps and other interactive products with the goal to help create user experiences that are smooth, intuitive, and effective at helping users achieve their goals.

Task flow diagrams are visual representations of the sequence of steps that a user goes through to complete a specific task or achieve a specific goal while interacting with a product or service.

UX designers used task flow diagrams to understand how users will navigate through a product or service and to identify any potential points of confusion or frustration that might arise during the process.

Designers can create task flow diagrams using a variety of different tools and techniques. You can choose to use words only, or represent each step in a more visual way using parts of the UI, icons or images.

You can also choose necessary level of detail. You can design some task flows to show every possible step and decision that a user might encounter, or keep it simple and focus on the key tasks and decision points that are most important to the user experience.

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Task flows vs User Flows

Task flows and user flows are similar in that they both refer to the steps that a user goes through to complete a specific task or achieve a specific goal while interacting with a product or service. However, there are some key differences between the two concepts.

Task Flows

Task flows focus on a particular task independent of the user persona. User flows are more about a particular persona accomplishing a task.

Task flows focus specifically on the tasks that a user needs to complete in order to achieve their goal. A task flow might include steps such as filling out a form, completing a purchase, or navigating to a specific page on a website. Task flows are typically designed to help users accomplish specific goals within a product or service, and they are often used to inform the design of user interfaces and interactions.

User Flows

User flows tend to be more complex, and can include a number of task flows. Task flows are typically linear, while user flows can have branches indicating decision points.

User flows, on the other hand, take a broader view of the user experience and consider the entire journey that a user takes while interacting with a product or service. User flows can include multiple tasks and may involve navigating between different parts of the product or service. User flows are often used to understand how users move between different tasks and features within a product or service, and to identify potential points of confusion or frustration that might arise during the process.

	Task Flow	User Flow
Definition	The sequence of steps a user takes to complete a specific task or achieve a specific goal within a product or service.	The entire journey that a user takes while interacting with a product or service, including multiple tasks and navigation between different parts of the product or service.
Focus	Specific tasks that a user needs to complete to achieve a specific goal within the product or service.	The user’s overall journey and experience while interacting with the product or service.
Use in UX design	Used to inform the design of user interfaces and interactions, and to understand how users will navigate through a product or service.	Used to understand how users move between different tasks and features within a product or service, and to identify potential points of confusion or frustration.
Representation	Typically represented visually using diagrams or other visual representations.	Typically represented visually using diagrams or other visual representations.
Examples	Filling out a form, completing a purchase, navigating to a specific page on a website.	Browsing a website, completing a task within a mobile app, navigating between different parts of a product or service.

For more differences between task and user flows see:

• UX Glossary: Task Flows, User Flows, Flowcharts by Naema Baskanderi
• UX task flows vs. user flows, as demonstrated by pancakes by Erika Harano