1. Heuristic Evaluation in
Reverse for UX Improvement
Bohyun Kim
Associate Director for Library Applications and Knowledge Systems,
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Health Sciences & Human Services Library
@bohyunkim (Twitter) | http://bohyunkim.net (Website)
ACRL MD – MILEX Fall Program, Nov. 14, 2014 #acrlmdmilix14

2. 1. Usability, UX, UCD

3. Usability
Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy
user interfaces are to use.
Usability - 5 Quality components:
Learnability
Efficiency
Memorability
Errors
Satisfaction
- Source: Jakob Nielsen, “Usability 101: Introduction to Usability”
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-101-introduction-to-usability/

4. User Experience
"User experience" encompasses all aspects of the end-user's
interaction with the company, its services, and its
products. … It is a broader concept.
- Source: Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman, “The Definition
of User
Experience”http://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-101-
introduction-to-usability/
Task vs. Experience

5. User-Centered Design (UCD)
User-centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy where the
end-user’s needs, wants and limitations are a focus at all stages
within the design process and development lifecycle. Products
developed using the UCD methodology are optimized for end-users,
and emphasis is placed on how the end-users need or
want to use a product, instead of forcing the end user to
change his behavior to use the product.
- Source: Webopedia, “User centered
design,”http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/user_centered_des
ign.html
UCD Process :https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-centred-design/
user-centred-design-alpha-beta

6. 2. Why Usability, UX, UCD?

7. Image from Flickr by the CC License:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rowenarants/4661978934

9. Because…
UX/Usability is one of the most important concerns for
things that have been created for use.
UX/Usability interests of businesses and customers can
sometimes conflict.
There is no one perfect design.
Still, most of the time, UX/Usability interests of businesses
and customers are closely aligned.

10. 3. Problem & Proposal

11. Usability Testing Methods
Great but time-and-labor intensive!
Expert Review / Heuristic Evaluation
Survey / Questionnaire
Focus Group
Interviews
Usability Testing
Card Sorting
User Personas
Journey Map
Contextual Inquiry

12. How Can We Make
Immediate UX Improvement?
Image from Flickr by the CC License: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hisgett/5836924514/

13. Heuristic Evaluation
“Expert reviews – also known as heuristic evaluations –
are low cost usability methods that don’t involve
participation of real end users. An ‘expert’ usability
evaluator can assess a product (or web site) against a
known set of ‘heuristics’, or usability guidelines (best
practice). An alternative approach is to conduct a
‘cognitive walkthrough’ against specific use cases or
scenarios. “
– Source: “Expert reviews,”https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/
user-centred-design/user-research/expert-review.
html

14. Heuristic Evaluation in Reverse
Instead of the traditional approach, try using the ‘Scratch
Your Itch’ approach as the starting point.
Hence, Heuristic Evaluation ‘In Reverse’
Find the problem/pain point.
Think about a solution from a user’s perspective.
Look for specific guidelines that apply.
Look for specific best practices that apply.
Otherwise, check the general heuristics and usability
components.

15. 4. Thinking from a User’s
Perspective like a UX Expert

17. Too Many Options
Streamline

19. Many Important Things
Be Selective

21. 5. Conducting
Heuristic Evaluation in Reverse

22. (a) Scratch Your Itch - Web
Start with your own pain points.
Example:
No redirect between with and without ‘www.’

23. 5. Error Prevention
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
http://www.designprinciplesftw.com/collections/10-usability-heuristics-for-user-
interface-design

24. Try
amazon.com
www.amazon.com
google.com
www.google.com
slideshare.net
www.slideshare.net
prattlibrary.org
www.prattlibrary.org
http://med.fsu.edu/index.cfm?fuseaction=library.home

25. (a’) Findability of the Library
Building
Analogous case to (a) in terms of the library’s physical
space:
Is the building clearly identified as a library outside?
Are there library signs in the vicinity to point to the building?
Are there signs that visitors can follow to the library parking
lot?

26. Image from Flickr by the CC License:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/herzogbr/7380229378

28. Image from Flickr by the CC License:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/funkbrothers/5760421318

29. v
Image from Flickr by the CC License:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliejohnson/2570839947

30. (b) Scratch Your Itch - Web
No redirect between with and without ‘www.’
Position of the OK/Cancel Button (ILLiad, PeopleSoft)

33. “According to usability studies OK buttons work best on the right rather than left.”
http://uxmovement.com/buttons/why-ok-buttons-in-dialog-boxes-work-best-on-the-right/

36. Image from Flickr by the CC License:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14296351@N00/15408276849/

37. ‘Uber’ App
Password
Reset
Screen

38. (b’)
Analogous
Example?

39. Counter-intuitive
Follow the Convention
Be Predictable

40. (c) Scratch Your Itch - Web
No redirect between with and without ‘www.’
Location of the OK/Cancel Button (ILLiad, PeopleSoft)
Locating ‘Contact Us’ or ‘Help’

41. http://www.santarosa.edu/library/

43. https://www.godaddy.com/

44. Contact Us, Help, FAQs
“Include a "Contact Us" link on the homepage that goes to
a page with all contact information for your company. If
you want to encourage site visitors to contact your
company directly instead of seeking information on the
website first, include contact information such as the
primary address, phone number, and email directly on
the homepage.”
- Source: Jakob Nielsen, “113 Design Guidelines for
Homepage Usability http://www.nngroup.com/articles/113-
design-guidelines-homepage-usability/

45. (c’) Where to Find ‘HELP’
- Source: Dacular Branch Library,
Georgiahttp://rjsdesigns.net/Dacula%20Branch%20Library%2008.htm

46. Source - Santa Rosa Junior College Library
http://www.santarosa.edu/library/about/doyletour2.html

47. Locating
Cordelia
http://www.aqua.org/blog/2014/october/hap
py-world-octopus-day

48. “Look for
the
‘Feeding’
Section”

49. Not Enough Information
Jargon
Cryptic Message
Clear & To The Point

50. 5. Strategies

51. Conducting H.E.I.R
at Your Library
Heuristic Evaluation /Expert Review
Scratch Your Itches (+ Content/Space Audit)
Use a variety of usability guidelines for ‘Pain Points.’
Combine immediate changes + changes through
discussion
Use the result of heuristic evaluation as the guide for
more formal usability testing plan.
Evaluate on an ongoing basis.
Have a maintenance plan for content addition.

52. Usability Guidelines
Top 10 Guidelines for Homepage Usability
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/top-ten-guidelines-for-homepage-usability/
10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design
http://www.designprinciplesftw.com/collections/10-usability-heuristics-
for-user-interface-design
Usability.gov
http://guidelines.usability.gov/
UK Government Service Design Manual
https://www.gov.uk/service-manual
247 Usability Guidelines
http://www.userfocus.co.uk/resources/guidelines.html
Usability Express: Recipes for Libraries
http://www.slideshare.net/bohyunkim/usability-express-recipe-for-libraries
Kupersmith, John. (2012). Library Terms That Users Understand.
UC Berkeley: UC Berkeley Library. Retrieved from:
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qq499w7

53. Questions?
Slides: http://slideshare.net/bohyunkim
Twitter @bohyunkim
Website/Blog http://bohyunkim.net