Creating task models first requires understanding user tasks. This can be achieved with different approaches. In Chapter 12 of Smashing UX Design, the authors favor user testing over other methods, but many UX designers prefer contextual research or stakeholder interviews. Discuss the merits of each method for a project where the application being created is a metaphor for a real-life activity (such as online shopping for a company that has brick-and-mortar stores). Recommend one of the mentioned methods, or suggest your own method for understanding user tasks.