Proposal of an Automated Tool for Conducting Usability Inspections based on Nielsen Heuristics (original) (raw)
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Enhancing the Effectiveness of Usability Evaluation by Automated Heuristic Evaluation System
2011 Third International Conference on Computational Intelligence, Communication Systems and Networks, 2011
Usability defects test escapee can have a negative impact on the success of software. It is quite common for projects to have a tight timeline. For these projects, it is crucial to ensure there are effective processes in place. One way to ensure project success is to improve the manual processes of the usability inspection via automation. An automated usability tool will enable the evaluator to reduce manual processes and focus on capturing more defects in a shorter period of time. Thus improving the effectiveness of the usability inspection and minimizing defects escapee. There exist many usability testing and inspection methods. The scope of this paper is on the Heuristic Evaluation (HE) procedures automation. The Usability Management System (UMS) was developed to automate as many manual steps as possible throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC). It is important for the various teams within the organization to understand the benefits of automation. The results show that with the help of automation more usability defects can be detected. Hence, enhancing the effectiveness of usability evaluation by an automated Heuristic Evaluation System is feasible.
International journal of engineering & technology, 2018
Heuristic evaluation is one of the most used techniques to evaluate the level of usability of a software product. In this research, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the recent studies which report the use of this method in the context of a software development process. The purpose was to identify the specific way in which each author performs this usability evaluation method, in order to propose a formal protocol. After an indeed examination of these studies, we have determined there are several differences in the way this technique is conducted according to the literature. There is no agreement about the number of inspectors that should participate, the usability principles that should be used, the profile of the specialists who must be part of the assessment team, or the evaluation process that should be followed. This work highlights the available settings and a detailed procedure to perform a heuristic evaluation in the domain of software products.
Advanced Science and Technology Letters, 2016
The usability is nowadays an aspect that can determine the success of a software product. For this reason, there are methods that allow specialists to verify if the properties of the system interfaces contribute to achieving the desired degree of usability. Although the heuristic evaluation is one of the most recognized methods, there is not a formal process to execute this technique. The original author only proposes general recommendations. Based on the analysis of different studies that report the use of this method, we established a new usability evaluation process that can be used for any professional in Computer Sciences. This work is focused on the validation of our protocol to conduct heuristic evaluations. For this purpose, a case study was conducted with the participation of twenty postgraduate students. The analysis establishes that the results are more accurate when a formal process is used.
International Journal of u- and e- Service, Science and Technology, 2017
The heuristic evaluation method is one of the most reported methods in the literature to evaluate the usability of software products. However, despite its wide acceptance by the scientific community, there is not a formal framework that can guide step by step to the specialists on how to execute the entire evaluation process. The literature only provides general recommendations that were established by the original author of the technique. However, through an in-depth review of the recent studies which describe the use of this method in the context of software applications, we have developed an own proposal. The new approach consolidates several perspectives from different authors who have used the method in diverse domains. This paper is focused on the validation of our new protocol to conduct heuristic evaluations. For this purpose, an experimental case study was carried out in the Web domain with the participation of twenty postgraduate students. The results establish that more accurate results are obtained when a structured process is followed.
A methodology to establish usability heuristics
2011
Usability evaluation for applications based on emerging information technology brings new challenges. Is it the classical concept of usability still valid? Which are the dimensions of the (new) usability? How can it be measured? How should we develop for (better) usability? A methodology to develop usability heuristics for emerging applications is proposed. The methodology was fully checked in the case of Grid Computing applications, and partially applied in the case of Interactive Digital Television and Virtual Worlds.
Heuristic Evaluation: Usability Evaluation Materials
Heuristic Evaluation (Nielsen and Molich, 1990; Nielsen, 1994) is a method of usability evaluation where an analyst finds usability problems by checking the user interface against a set of supplied heuristics or principles. A set of evaluation materials for the heuristics described in (Nielsen, 1994) are presented, in particular: • A structured description of Heuristic Evaluation to ease learning and use; • A self assessed test to allow analysts to assess their understanding of Heuristic Evaluation; • A checklist of heuristics for use in the analysis; • Problem record sheets to record usability problems during analysis. Currently, these only record the usability problem predicted. In future, these could be modified to include recommended solutions to these problems (Jeffries, 1994); • A questionnaire to fill in after the analysis
A Usability Inspection Approach to Assist in the Software Development Process
Several approaches have been proposed to ensure the quality of interactive systems. However, interactive systems continue to reach users with malfunctions, such as usability, communicability and interaction errors. Researches show that the lack of usability knowledge in software development organizations is an obstacle for usability evaluation. Our research goal is to popularize usability inspections so that even novice inspectors are able to perform it. Aiming to provide an approach to be used during the development process of web application, we have proposed the WE-QT technique. We are using an experimental methodology to evolve our technique and transfer it from the academy to industry. This paper presents a new comparative study; the results show that WE-QT technique is more efficient than and as effective as the compared technique.
Usability inspection methods after 15 years of research and practice
Proceedings of the 25th annual ACM international conference on Design of communication - SIGDOC '07, 2007
Usability inspection methods, such as heuristic evaluation, the cognitive walkthrough, formal usability inspections, and the pluralistic usability walkthrough, were introduced fifteen years ago. Since then, these methods, analyses of their comparative effectiveness, and their use have evolved in different ways. In this paper, we track the fortunes of the methods and analyses, looking at which led to use and to further research, and which led to relative methodological dead ends. Heuristic evaluation and the cognitive walkthrough appear to be the most actively used and researched techniques. The pluralistic walkthrough remains a recognized technique, although not the subject of significant further study. Formal usability inspections appear to have been incorporated into other techniques or largely abandoned in practice. We conclude with lessons for practitioners and suggestions for future research.
2007
The paper proposes an approach to comparative usability evaluation that incorporates important relevant criteria identified in previous work. It applies the proposed approach to a case study of a comparative evaluation of an academic website employing four widely-used usability evaluation methods (UEMs): heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthroughs, think-aloud protocol and co-discovery learning.
Usability Testing as a Complement of Heuristic Evaluation: A Case Study
Design, User Experience, and Usability: Theory, Methodology, and Management
The usability assessment of software systems is becoming more relevant, especially when it comes to web-based systems. A well-built and user-friendly website is capable of capturing a potential customer. There are different methods to evaluate usability, including heuristic evaluation and usability testing with users. In the present work, the critical functionalities of an airline's website were evaluated, such as the purchase of tickets, flight reservations, among others. First, a heuristic evaluation was performed and then a usability test with users. The evaluations were developed in an academic context and the participants were postgraduate students of a university. The problems detected in the first evaluation served to define specific tasks in the usability test with users. In this way, the results of the evaluations were complemented.