User Experience Methods Catalogue

# Heuristic Evaluation

Purpose
Highlight usability problems and identify severity level
Time required
Depending on scope of application, min. 1 man-day
Participants
approx. 3-5 persons with UX/Usability expertise
Level of experience
experienced
Symbol image of a checklist

# Summary

In heuristic evaluation, a usability expert examines a system for deviations from evaluation criteria, the so-called heuristics (e.g. "10 golden rules for GUI design").

An inspection by experts (besides the heuristic evaluation e.g. also the Cognitive Walkthrough gives feedback on how a product or a concept idea can be optimized. Expert reviews, in general, are particularly helpful because usability experts can also suggest solutions for difficult design problems based on their experience with many different applications. An inspection by experts is particularly useful if an existing product is to be improved or if concepts for a new product already exist that you do not yet want to test with end-users.

# Result

A prioritized and weighted list of vulnerabilities / usability problems of the investigated system.

# Approach

Before the heuristic evaluation, the usability experts, the heuristics and the part of the interactive system to be examined must be selected. There are many possible criteria for a heuristic evaluation: General principles are heuristics such as the "10 golden rules for GUI design". Such general principles are at a high level of abstraction. They, therefore, serve as general guidelines that should not be violated. Principles and guidelines may, for example, derive from standards such as the ISO/IEC 9241 series of usability standards. Such guidelines are more concrete, for example, "colour should not be used as the only means of representing information". Such guidelines are more concrete but typically platform-independent. Established conventions are, for example, platform standards such as those of Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS, and iOS or Android. An example of such a platform convention is "A dialog always has an 'OK' and a 'Cancel' button. These are located in the lower right corner". Usability experts have internalized the general criteria and will not prove why a usability problem is suspected for each finding if this is not explicitly desired.

Each usability expert performs the evaluation independently and individually based on the selected heuristics.

The usability experts can evaluate the heuristic evaluation in a joint workshop, listing all found weak points, classifying them according to their severity and then prioritizing them.

# Time of use

This method can be applied to both finished applications and prototypes.

# Tools and Templates

# Advantages

A rather low effort compared to evaluations with representatives of the user group. This method has the potential to uncover problems that users may not even notice because they have already developed a workaround.

# Disadvantages

The quality of the results strongly relies on the expertise of the usability expert. Also, it can be difficult to apply the often abstract heuristics to a concrete interactive system. Furthermore, it may be difficult to assign found usability problems to the used heuristics. The method uncovers problems, but often no suggestions for improvement.

# Hints

Evaluators must proceed systematically in heuristic evaluation so as not to overlook any aspects. This is particularly important for complex applications.

# Sources

← Laboratory Study / Usability Test →