Understanding Heuristics
Heuristic evaluation is a method for finding usability problems in a user interface, thereby making them more available and solvable as part of an iterative design process.
It involves a set of expert elevators who examine the interface and assess its compliance with “heuristics(set of principles)”. Typically these evaluations of user interfaces can be expensive and time-consuming process that often overwhelm designers and developers alike. They are hence often ignored which could cost delivering product/service which can prove frustrating and unusable to the user.
But, Some of the advantages include:
· It can provide quick and relatively inexpensive feedback to designers.
· Help obtain feedback early in the design process.
· Assigning the correct heuristic can help suggest the best corrective measures to designers.
· Can prove helpful to further examine potential issues.
Many groups like Shneiderman’s eight golden rules have provided set of principles which would help interfaces being properly refined and interpreted. I personally use Jakob Nielsen’s heuristics . Below is the image that consists of these principles which is followed by examples of how it can help best provide corrective measures.
UNDERSTANDING
Consistency
Below is the example of how having a consistent layout helps the user feel connected and being in the same space. But, there are lot of ways consistency can be achieved like providing consistent names, consistent options and clear choices etc..
Use Familiar Metaphors and Languages
Below is the image from Cartoon Network. It is one of my favorite websites, having spent a lot of time on the websites I can say that the language appealed to me when I was a kid and even when I am 28 years old :P
Clean & Functional Design
Below is the example of Above the fold clean and functional design from Amazon.com website where the menu items are categorized by departments, deals, gift cards, Registry etc..
ACTION
Freedom
Below is yet another example from Amazon check out and the ability to allow the users to edit the quantity details, choosing prime delivery option etc..
Flexibility
Below is one of the examples for achieving flexibility through shortcuts. The example is taken from Macbook’s Chrome browser view menu. Some of the other ways to achieve flexibility can include providing users with default options, showing the calendar events in an ambient way and by pro activity(allowing users to unsubscribe from emails which are less used)
Recognition over recall
One of the best ways to achieve this to avoid codes for the things/elements that can be easily achieved by just looking at it. showing previews of items rather than lists, avoiding extra hurdles etc.. Google maps old version had done a pretty decent job of using the icons for the users to recognize and take action rather than recalling what each icon meant. But it is in the hands of designers to not use self explanatory icons which leaves the users clueless.
FEEDBACK
Show Status
It is absolutely important to show the status of the tasks that are being done. For example, showing the task completion time, number of steps to complete the tasks, progress bar for the task, showing the changes being made on the file, acknowledging the completed task etc.
Prevent Errors
Sounds like a no brainier but it cannot literally mean to prevent errors but also preventing data loss, preventing clutter, confusing flow, avoiding unnecessary constraints, bad data etc..
Support Error and Recovery
This is the most un-followed principles of all. We all face this, whenever there is an error in an interface. The technical details never makes sense sense to the common user. It would help by making the problem clearer, providing the solution, showing the path forward, providing an alternative, recognize errors.
Provide Help
We are all set out as designers to help the users by being mindful of all the above principles to provide help and support in creating clutter free and user interface but also provide help when the users asks for it. Some simple ways to do that is by providing examples, showing next steps, Help documentation, and most importantly use the help easily and have fun.
Happy Designing! =)
