Estimate time-on-task, click counts, and efficiency metrics for user workflows. Use when measuring task completion efficiency, comparing design alternatives, setting UX benchmarks, or when user mentions "time on task", "click count", "efficiency", "task completion", "benchmark", or "how long does it take".
Estimate and measure task completion metrics for UX optimization.
Estimated time from task start to completion.
Components:
Total interactions required to complete task.
Types:
Likelihood of user making mistakes.
Factors:
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 |
Base time + (150ms × log2(options + 1))
| Options | Added Time |
|---|---|
| 2 | ~300ms |
| 4 | ~450ms |
| 8 | ~600ms |
| 16 | ~750ms |
| 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 |
| 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: [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]
Total clicks ÷ number of tasks completed
Good: <5 clicks per task Acceptable: 5-10 clicks Poor: >10 clicks
Total time ÷ total clicks
Good: <2 seconds (user flows smoothly) Acceptable: 2-5 seconds (some thinking) Poor: >5 seconds (confusion/waiting)
# 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 |
For detailed estimation models: See references/estimation-models.md