Chapter 26Chapter 26

Inspections of the UIInspections of the UI

Heuristic inspectionHeuristic inspection

• Recommended before but in lieu of user observations

• Sort of like an expert evaluation• Heuristics can be based on guidelines or style

guides• One set of heuristics was proposed by Nielsen:

http://www.useit.com• Here they are: http://www.useit.

com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html

• Recommended before but in lieu of user observations

• Sort of like an expert evaluation• Heuristics can be based on guidelines or style

guides• One set of heuristics was proposed by Nielsen:

http://www.useit.com• Here they are: http://www.useit.

com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html

Nielsen’s HueristicsNielsen’s Hueristics

• Visibility of system status feedback availability

• Match between system and real world avoid jargon

• User control and freedom undo and redo

• Consistency and standards follow platform conventions (style guides?)

• Visibility of system status feedback availability

• Match between system and real world avoid jargon

• User control and freedom undo and redo

• Consistency and standards follow platform conventions (style guides?)

cont’d.cont’d.

• Error prevention error messages, error prevention

• Recognition rather than recall visibility

• Flexibility and efficiency of use tailorability (e.g., shortcuts for power users)

• Aesthetic and minimalist design avoid irrelevant info

• Error prevention error messages, error prevention

• Recognition rather than recall visibility

• Flexibility and efficiency of use tailorability (e.g., shortcuts for power users)

• Aesthetic and minimalist design avoid irrelevant info

cont’d.cont’d.

• Error diagnosis error messages

• Help and documentation self-explanatory

• See Heuristic Evaluation of Usability of Infants

• Error diagnosis error messages

• Help and documentation self-explanatory

• See Heuristic Evaluation of Usability of Infants

Conducting heuristic insp.Conducting heuristic insp.

• Choosing inspectors: usability experts (e.g., Jakob Nielsen) domain experts (e.g., ATC controllers) designers developers nonexperts (perhaps domain experts)

• Choosing inspectors: usability experts (e.g., Jakob Nielsen) domain experts (e.g., ATC controllers) designers developers nonexperts (perhaps domain experts)

Collecting Evaluation DataCollecting Evaluation Data

• Possible template for heuristic evaluation

• Follows along task description

• Possible template for heuristic evaluation

• Follows along task description

Task Scenario No. 1

Evaluator: John

Inspector: George

Session: 2/25

Start: 9:30am

End: 10:20am

Task description Violated heuristic Usability defect Inspector’s comments

Arrival of new email message

Visibility of system status

User is not informed of new email arrival

Provide audible or visual alert, with the option of turning it off or choosing between type of alert

Data AnalysisData Analysis

• Procedure for analysis should follow that of analysis of user observation data

• Procedure for interpretation should be similar as well

• Potential benefits: inspections may be cheaper then user studies inspectors often suggest solutions (users do not) inspections can be quicker

• Procedure for analysis should follow that of analysis of user observation data

• Procedure for interpretation should be similar as well

• Potential benefits: inspections may be cheaper then user studies inspectors often suggest solutions (users do not) inspections can be quicker

Pitfalls of inspectionsPitfalls of inspections

• Inspectors aren’t real users difficult to make predictions of what real users

will actually do inspectors may attach different importance to

found defects

• Inspectors may be biased by their experience

• Inspectors may have insufficient domain knowledge

• Inspectors aren’t real users difficult to make predictions of what real users

will actually do inspectors may attach different importance to

found defects

• Inspectors may be biased by their experience

• Inspectors may have insufficient domain knowledge

Other types of inspectionsOther types of inspections

• Participatory heuristic evaluations: if not using HCI or domain experts, but users as inspectors

• Guideline reviews: instead of heuristics, use guidelines, style guides, etc.

• Standards inspections: evaluate UI against something like ISO 9241

• Cognitive walkthrough

• Peer review: use your friends…

• Participatory heuristic evaluations: if not using HCI or domain experts, but users as inspectors

• Guideline reviews: instead of heuristics, use guidelines, style guides, etc.

• Standards inspections: evaluate UI against something like ISO 9241

• Cognitive walkthrough

• Peer review: use your friends…

Participatory heuristicsParticipatory heuristics

• system status

• task sequencing

• emergency exits

• flexibility and efficiency of use

• match between system and real world

• recognition rather than recall

• aesthetic and minimalist design

• system status

• task sequencing

• emergency exits

• flexibility and efficiency of use

• match between system and real world

• recognition rather than recall

• aesthetic and minimalist design

Participatory heuristicsParticipatory heuristics

• error reporting• error preventing• skills

enhance user skills (e.g., wizards)

• pleasurable and respectful interaction• quality work (timeliness, accuracy,

aesthetics, completeness• privacy

• error reporting• error preventing• skills

enhance user skills (e.g., wizards)

• pleasurable and respectful interaction• quality work (timeliness, accuracy,

aesthetics, completeness• privacy