GR1 - Task Analysis

User Analysis

Since our application caters to a very specific crowd (ZBT Fraternity at MIT, in particular) and isn't intended to be adapted for commercial use, we can have a very focused target user base.  Here are the characteristics of our target user population:

• Age: 19-22 years old
• Gender: Exclusively Male
• Language: English (native, or at least fluent)
• Education: College (specifically 2nd-4th year students at MIT)
• Physical Limitations: None.  Possibly visual impairment (e.g. colorblindness)
• Computer Experience: Substantial to extensive.  Users can ask other users for help.
• Motivations
  • Chore scheduling flexibility
  • Monetary benefit
  • Arbitrage
• Domain/Application Experience
  • Little to none with a trading UI

Here are two personae that we believe, between the two of them, capture the average user.

• Ichigo Kurosake is a 20-year-old student born in Wichita, Kansas.  He is now a second-year student attending MIT.  He joined ZBT last year and is now living at the fraternity's house, as is required of all brothers.  He has been assigned midnights on days before a problem set is due and needs some efficient way (everybody ignores his e-mails) to get rid of them by either paying someone else to do them or swapping.  Ichigo has worked with computers all his life and is very proficient at learning how to use new applications.  He enjoys playing soccer and watching anime.
• Jorge McDaniels is a 21-year-old student born in Washington, D.C. He is a fourth-year student attending MIT and also is a brother at ZBT.  Unlike Ichigo, Jorge has more than enough time to complete midnights, since he is only taking three classes this term.  However, he enjoys having extra pocket money and is looking for ways to get such money through either selling his labor, or pursuing some form of arbitrage.  Jorge has substantial financial background, and does not mind making profits off of his fellow brothers.

Task Analysis

GOAL 1: Check current Midnights

Preconditions:

• Midnights for the coming week have been posted by the Midnight Maker (brother responsible for running the algorithm). 
• The user needs to know his username, password, or have an MIT certificate.

Subtasks:

1. Login to the exchange
2. Navigate to the most current display of Midnight assignments

GOAL 2: Buy Midnight Labor

Preconditions:

• The user cannot make his assigned Midnight, or
• The user achieves higher utility by paying for labor rather than doing his assigned Midnight.
• The user has logged in to the exchange

Subtasks:

1. Display the current market for labor prices for a specific Midnight
2. Determine if the current market price for Midnight labor is acceptable to the user. If so,
   1. Enter date of Midnight
   2. Enter Midnight type
   3. Place buy market order
3. If market price is too high,
   1. Enter date of Midnight
   2. Enter Midnight type
   3. Enter ask price
   4. Place buy limit order
4. Confirm order
5. Wait for notification that order has been filled.

GOAL 3: Sell Midnight Labor

Preconditions:

• The user has free time and wishes to earn money by doing Midnights, or
• The user achieves higher utility by doing Midnights
• The user has logged in to the exchange

Subtasks:

1. Display the current market for labor prices for all Midnights
2. Determine if the current market price for Midnight labor is acceptable to the user. If so,
   1. Enter date of Midnight
   2. Enter Midnight type
   3. Place sell market order
3. If market price is too low,
   1. Enter date of Midnight
   2. Enter Midnight type
   3. Enter bid price
   4. Place sell limit order
4. Confirm order
5. Wait for notification that order has been filled.

GOAL 4: Speculate on Midnight labor

Preconditions:

• The user wishes to take a directional position in the price of Midnight labor
• The user has logged in to the exchange

Subtasks:

1. Browse Midnight labor prices
2. Place a buy order (outlined above) for Midnight labor, with the intent of selling it before the Midnight expires.
3. Place a sell order (outlined above) for Midnight labor at a higher price than the buy order.
4. Confirm order
5. Wait for notification that order has been filled.

Domain Analysis