Heuristics

1
Heuristics

• Basis
• Evaluators
• Qualifications
• Training
• Preparation
• Scenario
• Results
• List of problems
• Severity
• Group synthesis

2
A Wealth of Heuristics

• Nielsen, 1994 general HCI
• Williams Display Design
• Spyradakis Understandable Content
• Farkas Navigation Design
• Mullet Visual Design
• Simpson, 1985 general HCI
• Schneiderman, 1992 general HCI
• Dumas, 1988 - general HCI
• Redish, 1988 document design
• Horton, 1990 online documentation
• Xerox Heuristic Evaluation Checklist

3
Heuristics

• Nielsens List

1. Visibility of system status
2. Match between system and real world (speak users
   language)
3. User control and freedom (emergency exit)
4. Consistency and standards
5. Error prevention (design to discourage errors)
6. Recognition rather than recall (make objects
   visible)
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use (accelerators
   for experts)
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design (avoid irrelevant
   information)
9. Help users recognize, diagnose and recover from
   errors (error messages)
10. Help and documentation (information focused on
    tasks, concrete steps)

4
Cognitive Walkthrough

• Focus on Learnability
• Define Inputs
• Users
• Sample tasks and action sequences for completing
  tasks
• Walk through with questions in mind
• Will user try to achieve the right effect?
• Will user notice that the correct action is
  available?
• Will user associate correct action with effect
  she is trying to achieve?
• Will user see that progress is being made toward
  solution of the task?

5
Activity Heuristic Evaluation

• Cell Phone
• Groups work on step 1 (heuristics, evaluators,
  tasks)
• Groups work on step 2 (Individual evaluation)
• Groups work on step 3 (Group synthesis)
• Share results and discuss

6
Activity Heuristic Evaluation

• Discussion Topics
• What are important decisions?
• What types of variations could you imagine?
• What are the complexities what makes it hard?
• What factors are important for achieving success
  with this method?

7
Discussion of Readings

• Insights from supplemental readings
• Facilitate class discussion of topics / ideas /
  themes garnered from the online discussion,
  related to assigned readings.
• Discussion Leaders
• 1. Tom Alphin 2. Gordon Kam 3. Lowell Vaughen

8
Project Exercise Heuristic Evaluation

• Design and conduct a heuristic evaluation of your
  prototype.
• Prepare a one page description summarizing
• Heuristic evaluation approach
• Results of your evaluation
• Potential implications for redesign
• Bring copies of the exercise to class (one copy
  for each member of the team, one copy for the
  instructor) and also post it to your design
  portfolio.
• Due next Thursday

9
Looking back / Looking ahead

• Where weve been
• Topics Readings and discussion
• What is UCD?
• Collecting and summarizing info about users,
  tasks and context
• Problem definition
• Design
• Project
• Insights about users, tasks, and contextual
  issues
• Actual data from observing real users
• Problem definition
• Proposal
• Design

• Where were going
• Redesign
• Represent design
• Support and justify
• Readings
• On evaluation and guidelines
• Upcoming Exercises
• Usability Study
• Final Design Solution
• Issue Statement A reminder
• 1. Sarah Sosiak2. Ona Anicello3. Astrid
  Lipke4. Monica Risse