The authors report their experience from various task analysis projects in which users have been observed in situ. Solutions for simultaneous video recording, often needed to adequately observe and analyze a workspace, are discussed. Of the various analog- and digital-based solutions, the authors deem a low-cost solution using entry-level computer hardware to produce sufficiently high-fidelity feedback for most task analysis purposes. Such systems can be acquired and set up by novice computer users for a fraction of the cost of broadcast video systems. A case study demonstrates the application of one such inexpensive solution.
