Heuristic Evaluation of iCalamityGuide Application

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

AM+A


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

AM+A


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

AM+A


 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

AM+A


 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

AM+A


 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

AM+A


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

AM+A


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

AM+A


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

AM+A


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

AM+A


 Security personnel screens
 More logical depiction for changing unsafe building to safe

AM+A


 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

AM+A


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

AM+A


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

Heuristic Evaluation of iCalamityGuide Application

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