Heuristic evaluation first talked about by Jacob Nielson in 1990, refined in 1994. Keith Instone took heuristics and applied to websites in 1997.

Established and used by Bell Labs, Philips, HP and several others.

Classic Method
•    3-5 people work independently to create a list of problems
•    End with a huge list that needs to be sorted.
•    Problems prioritised.

Participatory design: get users involved from the beginning, can be used as part of heuristic development process. Using a cross discipline team of developers, customers, analysts and designers.

Group Method
•    5-8 people go through system and identify problems, like a brainstorming session. Don’t discuss each problem at the time.
•    Everyone votes on problems.
•    Create a prioritised list

Keith Instone’s Web Heuristics
Compare each element of design and go though a list criteria.

Visibility of system status important. Always let the user know where they are. Sheffield City Council site an example of poor design in this area.

Speak the user’s language.

User control and freedom
Let people do things in different ways. National Rail Enquiries example of poor design, difficulty finding cheapest ticket price.

Consistency: helps the user know what they are doing and know where they are.

Recognition not recall: GUIs beat command line, its not that users are lazy but they are more efficient. This can depend on users’ needs.

Minimalist design and aesthetics: Give users what they need and no more.

Prioritising Problems
•    Severity ratings by silent vote
•    Provides filtering for idiosyncratic problems

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