Heuristic evaluation is a method used to identify usability issues within a user interface by referring to Nielsen heuristic principles. In the Invento project, we employed heuristic evaluation to assess our medium-fidelity prototype. This prototype was tested to evaluate common user behaviors that are critical to the user experience by conducting interviews with several individuals who served as testers for the Invento application. These testers provided feedback based on their interactions with the prototype, helping to identify and categorize usability violations according to established heuristic principles. Here is the medium-fidelity prototype used:
After conducting individual heuristic evaluations using the medium-fidelity prototype, violations identified by each evaluator were categorized differently. We applied Nielsen's rating assessment to these violations to prioritize improvements for our prototype going forward. The rating scale we established is as follows:
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | I don’t agree that is a usability problem at all |
| 1 | Cosmetic problem only: need not be fixed unless extra time is available on project |
| 2 | Minor usability problem: fixing this should be given low priority |
| 3 | Major usability problem: important to fix, so should be given high priority |
| 4 | Usability catastrophe: imperative to fix this before product can be released |
Based on the ratings we have determined, the total distribution of violations serves as the basis for assessing the feasibility of our prototype.
| Total Points Violations | Description |
|---|---|
| < 13 | Good |
| 14-16 | Major Repairs |
| 17-39 | Minor Repairs |
| > 39 | Bad |
Here are the results of the heuristic evaluation conducted with 5 evaluators using Nielsen's rating scale:
Based on the heuristic violations results, Invento can be considered simple and has an easy-to-follow flow. However, there are several improvements that can enhance usability and functionality. Here is the conclusion from the heuristic evaluation: