The document summarizes a heuristic evaluation conducted by Aaron Marcus and Associates (AM+A) on the iCalamity app, which assists people during disasters. The evaluation examined the app's usability, usefulness and appeal. It identified several issues with the initial setup process, application management, and screens. AM+A provided redesign suggestions to improve the layout, colors, typography and navigation. Further user testing is recommended to determine the most effective design changes.

1. AM+A
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc., www.AMandA.com, 1
Heuristic Evaluation: iCalamity Guide
Aaron Marcus, President, and Scott Abromowitz, Designer/Analyst
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc. (AM+A)
1196 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1F, Berkeley, California 94708-1640, USA
Tel: +1-510-601-0994,
Email: Aaron.Marcus@AMandA.com and scott@abromo.com
Web: www.AMandA.com
Prof. Maysoon F. Abulkhair
Faculty of Computing and Information Technology
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Email; mabualkhair@kau.edu.sa

2. AM+A
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc., www.AMandA.com, 2
iCalamity: App Assists People During
Natural, People-Made Disasters
 R+D Project at King Abdulaziz University
 Two user experiences based on user credentials
 Individual (faculty, students ,administrators ,visitors); security agents
 AM+A conducted heuristic evaluation (HE) in 2012
 Examined usability, usefulness, and appeal per AM+A criteria
 Detailed heuristics in Appendix of DUXU13 paper
 Topics
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Initial Set up
Application Management
Competitive Analysis
Screen Redesigns
Conclusion

3. AM+A
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HE Examples: Initial Set Up, 1/4
 System Set-up: Insufficient options to reassure users
 Example: What happens if users mis-type usernames/passwords
 Example: What happens if users forget account names/passwords
 Example: For visitors cautious about signing up, need for identifying
location while using app
 Severity: 4/4 (bad!)
 Bases: User control/freedom; Fitt’s Law; provide feedback
 Initial uncertainty in regard to user credentials
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Example: System doesn’t alert users to successful account creation
Example: Not clear what happens if user has multiple devices
Severity: ¾
Bases: User control/freedom; provide feedback; support action-reversal

4. AM+A
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HE Examples: Initial Set Up, 2/4
 Basic functions: Confusing for individual users
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Example: Colors on maps appear confusing
Example: Toolbar icons/signs confusing regarding Twitter logo
Severity: ¾
Bases: Info legibility/density; consistency/standards; real-world match;
Help/documentation; direct manipulation; visible UIs
 Recommendation: Provide short descriptions; tutorials; standard colors
 Notifying users of calamity
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Example: Push notification needs to be clear about context and relevance
Severity: 2/4
Basis: Consistency/standards
Reommendation: Clearer descriptions

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HE Examples: Initial Set Up, 3/4
 Content: Clarity of language, detection of users
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Example: General language clear (positive evaluation!)
Example: Needs more effective users’-locations detection: avoid clutter
Severity: ¾
Bases: Info legibility/density; consistency/standards; real-world match;
Help/documentation; direct manipulation; visible UIs
 Recommendation: Provide
 Notifying users of calamity
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Example: Push notification needs to be clear about context and relevance
Severity: 2/4
Basis: Consistency/standards
Reommendation: Clearer descriptions

6. AM+A
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HE Examples: Initial Set Up, 4/4
 Use of iOS HCI guidelines
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Example: Toolbar buttons don’t follow iOS app guidelines
Example: Button labels did not use initial caps
Severity: 3/4
Bases: Consistency/standards
Recommendation: Change displays to conform to iOS standards
 Error handling
 Example: Error messages use confusing terminology and jargon, esp. for
security personnel
 Severity: 3/4
 Basis: Consistency/standards; Help/documentation
 Reommendation: Conduct user tests for ease of learning and use

7. AM+A
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HE Examples:
Application Management
 Manage accounts; delete accounts
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Example: No way for users to be removed or logged out
Severity: 3/4
Bases: User control/freedom
Recommendation: Enable users to separate accounts and log out
 Change building’s status
 Example: Confusing for security agents to change building status from
unsafe to safe
 Example: Difficult to change status of several buildings at once
 Severity: 3/4
 Basis: Modelessness
 Reommendation: Consider screen redesigns

8. AM+A
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc., www.AMandA.com, 8
HE Examples: Competitive Analysis
of 3 Products, 1/2
 Deloitte’s Bamboo (http://bamboo4bcm.com)
 Targeted for businesses replacing paper-based prototcols
 Positive: Users can see colleagues
 Negative: Designed for offices of single building, not campus; locationpins can be come cluttered; no toolbar for easy navigation
 MyDisasterDroid
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/94311333/Android)
 Determines optimal route to safety based on users location and safe
areas
 Positive: Prioritization of closer locations for rescuers; prioritizing location
with many people in need
 Negative: No user awareness; UI is unintuitive; not easy to see location
of users or to designate buildings as safe or dangerous

9. AM+A
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HE Examples: Competitive Analysis
of 3 Products, 2/2
 Meridian App (http://meridianapps.com)
 Marketed to hospitals, malls, large building complexes to guide people
from one point in building to another point in same building; doesn’t rely
on GPS signal but on users’ ability to follow steps
 Positive: Logically designed UI with legible words and warning; allows
direct manipulation
 Negative: Not designed for multi-building campus

10. AM+A
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AM+A Redesigns Improve Layout,
Color, Typography, Navigation, 1/x
 Non-security user screens
 Rewording to enhance usability of pop-up notification and a color key
above tab bar for easy reference

11. AM+A
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc., www.AMandA.com, 11
AM+A Redesigns Improve Layout,
Color, Typography, Navigation, 2/x
 Security personnel screens
 More logical depiction for changing unsafe building to safe

12. AM+A
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc., www.AMandA.com, 12
AM+A Redesigns Improve Layout,
Color, Typography, Navigation, 3/x
 Security personnel screens
 Clearer status under building name; incorporated number of people in
building for easy reference; blue arrow links to list of people in building

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Conclusions
 Heuristic evaluation identified areas needing
improvement in good application’s UI/HCI/UX
 Redesigns showed initial, clear examples of
recommended changes
 User testing needs to determine which sketches
would provide most powerful enhancements
 Acknowledgements
 KAU IT Dept. development team students: Hajer Assiri, Reham
Fiesal, Somaia Alyoubi, Marwah Samarkandi, Noura Alsaba'an, and
Oraib Abdullah

14. AM+A
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc., www.AMandA.com, 14
Heuristic Evaluation: iCalamity Guide
Aaron Marcus, President, and Scott Abromowitz, Designer/Analyst
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc. (AM+A)
1196 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1F, Berkeley, California 94708-1640, USA
Tel: +1-510-601-0994,
Email: Aaron.Marcus@AMandA.com and scott@abromo.com
Web: www.AMandA.com
Prof. Maysoon F. Abulkhair
Faculty of Computing and Information Technology
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Email; mabualkhair@kau.edu.sa