SMARTPHONE HEURISTICS

09 August 2010

HEURISTIC EVALUATION

To analyze a user interface for conformance with recognized usability principles (heuristics).

BACK STORY

Jakob Nielsen Heuristic Severity Ranking: 0 (not a problem) to

4 (catastrophe) 10 usability heuristics

Bruce Tognazzini’s “First Principles of Interaction Design”

HEURISTIC #1

Visibility of application status Use appropriate feedback to keep people

informed about what is going on Web example: Orbitz search SmartPhones: What does Shazam do as it

analyzes audio? Your projects: where/when/how do you need to

provide feedback?

HEURISTIC #2

Match between app and real world Adjust display to reflect user environment SmartPhones: How does “Maps” change to

reflect where you are? Your project: where/when/how does your app

need to reflect the user environment?

HEURISTIC #3

User control and freedom Need “emergency exit” On desktop apps, the escape key SmartPhones: “cancel” and “x” and the “back

arrow” are common iPhone controls Your projects: where/when/how will your users

want to change their minds?

HEURISTIC #4

Error Prevention Anticipate errors and design to prevent or

present clear recover option SmartPhones: spell-check override Your projects: where/when/how might people

make mistakes? How will you gracefully help them recover?

HEURISTIC #5

Consistency and Standards Conform with norms; users should not have to

guess as to what words or actions mean SmartPhones: Where do you find standard

controls? Your projects: where/when/how will you pick the

iPhone keyboard to offer?

HEURISTIC #6

Recognition Rather Than Recall Minimize cognitive load Browsers: history SmartPhones: Foursquare has a tab to show you

recent or frequent check-ins and it will (usually) put your most visited locations first when you are in that area and ready to check in

Your projects: where/when/how will an easily accessible history be helpful?

HEURISTIC #7

Flexibility and Efficiency of Use Accelerators for accomplished users Browsers and desktop apps: keyboard shortcuts SmartPhones: Where do you see suggestions as

you type? (AppStore, where else?) Your projects: where/when/how can you

anticipate your user needs?

HEURISTIC #8

Aesthetic and minimalist design Clean design that minimizes unnecessary

information SmartPhones: What are examples of great

minimal design?

HEURISTIC #9

Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors Speak like your user, not like a programmer! The Web: 404 errors SmartPhones: who has good examples? (not

Foursquare!)

HEURISTIC #10

Help and documentation Contextual, concise, correct, specific SmartPhones: Ocarina offers contextual help

upon launch but makes tutorials easily accessible Your projects: where/when/how will you need to

offer “help”?

THINKING ABOUT SCENARIOS

We have a universal primary: find something (a park, an exhibit, a market)

We may have universal secondary (directions to primary selection)

Secondary goals: reviews/UGC

CREDITS

Kathy E. Gill, @kegill http://uwsmartphones.wordpress.com/