203 CR
DESIGN FOR USABILITY 2
HEURISTIC EVALUATION
Prepared by:
Mohammad Afif Fahim Bin Hairani
Prepared for:
Ms Intan Nadiah bt Abd Hakim
Introduction
First
of all, the subject is compulsory for student of year two who is study Bsc
(Hons) in Multimedia Computing of Kolej Poly-Tech Mara Ipoh. The student is
required to choose a website and evaluate the website also do a complete
documentation regarding to Heuristic Evaluation or known as Usability Audit
according to Jakob Nielsen heuristic evaluation.
Next,
GeForce website has been chosen by the student and need to be evaluated
according to Jakob Nielsen heuristic evaluation. After that, there are a few
information about GeForce website. GeForce website is built to show the latest
games that has been released followed by year. Besides, GeForce website also
provide latest graphic card download for those who are using NVidia graphic
cards and by downloading latest graphic driver, they could get latest updates
of graphic driver. Moreover, GeForce also must be installed in the system which
using the Nvidia graphic card because it provide helps and optimization for the
game installed. Community and forums also available on GeForce website and it
is the place whereby the users and consumers of Nvidia graphic card can give
feedback also report some bugs and improvements.
A heuristic evaluation is
a usability inspection method for computer software that helps to identify
usability problems in the user interface (UI) design. It specifically involves
evaluators examining the interface and judging its compliance with recognized
usability principles (the “heuristics”).
According to heuristic evaluation, the evaluator will evaluate the chosen
website followed by 10 heuristic evaluation characteristic. The first heuristic
evaluation is visibility of system status. The second heuristic evaluation is
match between system and real world, user control and freedom, consistency and
standards. Moreover, the next heuristic evaluation is helps user recognize and
recover from error. Furthermore, aesthetic and minimalist design. Last but not
least, help and documentation.
1. Visibility of System Status
Visibility
of system status based on Jakob Nielsen’s heuristic is “The system should always
keep users informed about what’s going on, through appropriate feedback within
reasonable time. “ (Jakob Nielsen, 1995). It means that the user could know
anything happen while using the website. Usually, the website should have and
give the commands or instructions to the user if the user lost or do not know
to navigate around the website. The causes is the user will be able to do based
on the instructions and commands given in the website.
As
an example is GeForce website. If the user would like to check or download the
graphic driver for their desktop or notebook product, the user could choose
whether manual driver search or auto detect GPU used. Next, if the user choose
option which is Auto Detect GPU, the java plug in which is used in GeForce
website will check. The user could know their GPU detect by looking the
progress bar which is checking the system. Once detected, the website will
offer a suitable graphic driver download for the user. In addition, if the user
failed in using Auto Detect GPU, the user can manually download the graphic
driver by choosing Manual Driver Search. Once the user got the suitable graphic
driver, the user freely download them by clicking download button. Below is the
Picture 1 shows the evidence of visibility of system status heuristics applied.
Picture 1
2. Match between System and Real World
According
the term of match between system and real world based on Jakob Nielsen, “The
system should speak the user’s language, with words, phrases and concepts
familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world
conventions, making information appear in natural and logical order.” (Jakob
Nielsen, 1995). Most of the website developer or maker should build a website
with simple design and simple language. The website must have instructions to
make the user more understand during fill the form. As an example, “below
fields are optional” make user know it is optional to fill the form.
Next
Match between system and real world of heuristic evaluation proof can be seen
in term of enter your details field. Based on instructions given in the form,
the user can know which textfield can be filled according to the types such as
first name, last name, address, email address and so on. Besides, the identity
if website itself. The website is all about graphic driver, so the user can
know the relationship between the website and graphic driver. Besides. GeForce
website is well known by all the consumers through the world and the users are already
familiar with website. As example of the picture below, to those user who want
to subscribe news from GeForce, the user can fill the form. The picture is the
example of match between system and real world.
Picture 2
3. User Control and Freedom
In
term of user control and freedom write by Jakob Nielsen, he said that “Users
often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked
“emergency exit” to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an
extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.” (Jakob Nielsen, 1995). Now, the users
are free without limitations to navigate around the website and explore to
anywhere. Besides, the website also provide the support which are redo and undo
button so that the user can go back to previous page when they do some changes
at that page.
As
an example which can be seen in GeForce website, the heuristic characteristic
of user control and freedom is the user or website viewer is freely navigate
and explore the website using the navigations and hyperlinks also hypertexts
which are available in the website. User also can control anything in the
website. For example, when user click the “Introducing The New GeForce GTX 980
and 970” the user is bring to another page and could read all the information
in that page. Below is the picture which an example of the user control and
freedom.
Picture 3
4. Consistency and Standards
Furthermore,
in term of consistency and standards, Jakob Nielsen said that “Users should not
have to wonder whether different words, situations or actions mean the same
thing. Follow platform conventions.” (Jakob Nielsen, 1995). Related to GeForce
website, all the modules and pages of the website have same characteristics
such as navigations, the picture and this situation totally could avoid the
user feel confused when view the website.
This
can be prove by looking at the every pages and module of GeForce website
whereby the website using the same background, same position in term of
navigations, colours used graphics and effects. As an example, colour used. The
consistency of colour used which are light green, silver and black are make the
user looks familiar with the identity of website also. Besides, the
arrangements of navigations also consistent for every pages and the user can
know the navigations are stay still and not moveable unless the website is
under construction or maintenance.
Picture 4
5. Helps User Recognize, Diagnose and Recover
from Errors
According
to Jakob Nielsen in term of helps user recognize, diagnose and recover from
errors means “Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes),
precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.” (Jakob
Nielsen. 1995). The good website should provide or show the solution to the
user if the user do any changes or mistakes during view the website. For
example, a pop up message that tell the user should undo the changes toward the
website.
For
example in GeForce website, the heuristic characteristic helps user recognize,
diagnose and recover from errors are used when the user want to check the type
of graphic drivers used. GeForce website provide the Java plugin which can
check the system status and graphic driver used by the user. If the user
installed the Java plugin, the user will not face any pop up message that the
user need to install the Java plugin. If the user is not installed any Java
plugin, the user is can see the pop up message that “This site using Java
plugin that is unsupported”. It means that the user should find the latest
update of Java plugin and install it so that the site can check the graphic
driver used through the latest update of Java plugin. Picture below shows the
example of helps user recognize, diagnose and recover from errors.
Picture 5
6. Recognition than Recall
In
term of Recognition than recall founded by Jakob Nielsen, “Minimize the user’s
memory load by making objects, actions and options visible. The user should not
have to remember information from one part of dialogue to another. Instructions
for user of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever
appropriate.” (Jakob Nielsen, 1995). It means that once the user view the
website, the user could know the website what is all about. After that, the
words that have been used for navigations also make the user more understand
about the website such as Home is for homepage and so on. Some developer build
the website using words and icon which make the user is easier to understand
website.
For
instance, the recognition than recall is applied in GeForce website. When the
user see the “HOME” at navigation tabs, the user know that “HOME” will lead
them to main page of GeForce. Besides, if the user want to download graphics
driver, the user may know by clicking “DRIVERS” because that page provide
download options for graphic driver. Furthermore, the user know the game site
when they navigate to “GAMES” section. The picture below the example of
recognition than recall.
Picture 6
7. Aesthetics and Minimalist Design
Based
on one of the heuristic characteristic which about aesthetics and minimalist
design that have been made by Jakob Nielsen, “Dialogues should not contain
information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of
information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of information and
diminishes their relative visibility.” (Jakob Nielsen, 1995). The website will
be measured on how complex the user interface of website whether the website is
easily used by the user. One example is the user is not confused about the website
interface when they visit or view the website for the first time.
GeForce
are successfully applied the heuristic characteristic which is aesthethics and
minimalist design which the website is quite simple in term of design also
graphics and the structure of website are not complex compared to the other
websites. When user visit the Game Ready Driver under GeForce Experience, the
user know that page is already about Game Ready Drivers section based on the
graphics used. Below the picture shows the example of aesthetics and minimalist
design used in GeForce website.
Picture 7
8. Help and Documentation
After that, in terms of help and
documentation by Jakob Nielsen, “Even though it is better the system can be
used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and
documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the
user’s task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.”
(Jakob Nielsen, 1995). The website should provide the manual online on how to
use the website instead of information downloaded from the website. The user
can know the manual online by words HELP or STEPS which hypertext that lead the
user to manual. By providing that helps or manuals, the user can refer to it
when they lost while using the website.
In GeForce, a little bit of instructions
and helps is are provided. The website is quite easy to understand, since it
provide the download options, so the website show the instructions on how to
use the information downloaded. The picture below show the example of help and
documentation.
Picture 8.1
Picture 8.2
Conclusion
In a conclusion, most of the websites
which are built need to follow the 10 heuristics characteristics defined by
Jakob Nielsen. The steps need to be taken by the website developers is to take
a look at the heuristics characteristics so that the website built will be more
effective, interesting and make the website user easily understand.
Reference
NVidia GeForce website http://www.geforce.com
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