Re-Modeling User Web Tasks

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a comprehensive model for web user tasks grounded in observed behavioral patterns during task completion. Based on a 10-day study analyzing over 5,000 browsing events alongside user surveys and interviews, the research identifies distinct navigation, revisitation, and engagement signatures corresponding to four core web task categories: informational, transactional, navigational, and social. The model captures how users adapt their strategies to meet varying cognitive demands and overcome usability challenges such as information overload and security concerns. Triangulating quantitative logs with qualitative insights, the study provides an ecologically valid framework that reflects real-world web interaction dynamics. The resulting task model offers a foundation for designing more intuitive and user-cantered web tools that align with natural user behaviors.