Conducting heuristic assessments

C o n d u c t in g A n As s e s s me ntUsing Information Architecture Heuristics presented by: Ab b y C o ve rt @ b b y _T h e _I A A

REMINDERS– The rules of heuristic use1. Put on your user shoes: Forget where you work and what your job is.2. Put on your user goggles: None of these principles matter without understanding the context of use and who your users are.3. Say “I am not my user”: Never use heuristic review as a replacement for user research.

The 10 Principles

Activity InstructionsStep 1: identify Tasks and Channels for evaluationTask Channel (Context)List 3 core tasks you expect List the channels that their pathyour audience to value over will put them into contact withothers and in what context.

Example:Task Channel (Context)Buying a pair of shoes and • Website (browsing)feeling comfortable about her • eCommerce (purchase)purchase. • Email (confirmation) • Mobile (checking email) • Social (bragging)

Step 2: Prioritize Principles by context, group evaluation by principlePrinciple Context & Expectations Pre Test ScoreList each principle in Provide notes on the Assign a pre testorder of importance tasks that make score against eachbased on the each principle principlecoverage of the essential. Good range to use is gradeoutlined tasks and •A = Above average in currentorganizational List any expectations implementationpriorities. you anticipate from •F = Not acceptable in current implementation usersFor details on the principles and guiding questions, visit:http://abbytheia.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/ia_heuristics/

ExamplePrinciple Context & expectations for review Pre Test Score1. Accessibility We need to be able to be used on B a mobile device yet we have never put any money towards that effort.2. Clear Our offering is complex and we B- need to focus on clarity yet we also understand that we may not be where we need to be because of never agreeing on our offerings.

Step 3: Group Findings by Priority<Principle>Finding Severity Impact if FixedList each major finding in Critical: Affecting the Describe what would beas much detail as you ability to complete a task improved if this wasfeel you need to tell the fixed. Think not juststory and capture the Medium: Affecting about users, but alsoseverity. brand reputation or about organizational perception of experience efficiencyNote: there will beoverlap, so condense Low: Non-impactingafter your analysis where issues that would be niceneeded. to fix

ExampleAccessibilityFinding Severity Impact if FixedEmail template is not Medium: Affecting Users are not usingmobile friendly and had brand reputation or email to its fullseveral instances of perception of experience advantage todaybroken links when because of the lack ofinteracted on mobile mobile friendly styledevices sheet. We expect a uptick in email click through rate if mobile optimized.

Step 4: Revisit Measurement, Post ImprovementsPrinciple High Level Findings Pre Test TodayList each principle in • Bullets level, hard hitting Old Neworder of importance highlights Score Score(as established in step 2)

ExamplePrinciple High Level Findings Pre Test TodayAccessibility • Email is a channel that we now B C understand is highly inaccessible via email

Where to go next…• Use the negative findings as areas to probe in analytics and user testing• Complete the same methodology on your competitors and see where you score comparatively• Provide better input into the road-mapping process for future enhancements and improvements

th a n k yo u• For listening• For caring• For making the internet a better place Twitter: @Abby_The_IA Email: abby@understandinggroup.comBrought to you by: The company that enables me do awesome stuff like this for awesome people like you.

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Conducting heuristic assessments

by Abby Covert on Apr 01, 2012

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