The Fluid UX Walkthrough team assessed a number of different heuristics and cognitive walkthrough processes when compiling our own checklist. Below are references and links to these sources, as well as the heuristics themselves. This material is provided as background reading for those who are interested in the published work that informed our own protocol. Many thanks go to Clayton Lewis and Daphne Ogle for their hard work compiling these resources and drafting the UX Inspection Methods and Techniques.
Here are original Nielsen and Molich heuristics, as refined by Nielsen. In addition, there is a detailed description from Denise Pierotta, Xerox, of specific things to look for when evaluating Nielsen's Heuristics.
Visibility of system status
The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
Match between system and the real world
The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order.
User control and freedom
Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.
Consistency and standards
Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.
Error prevention
Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
Recognition rather than recall
Minimize the user's memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate.
Flexibility and efficiency of use
Accelerators - unseen by the novice user - may often speed up the interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent actions.
Aesthetic and minimalist design
Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility.
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
Help and documentation
Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user's task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
An example of a report created through heuristic analysis can be found at WAI Site Analysis Summary
Here are the top level WCAG 2.0 Guidelines:
*Principle 1: Content must be perceivable.)
Principle 2: Interface components in the content must be operable
Principle 3: Content and controls must be understandable
Principle 4: Content should be robust enough to work with current and future user agents (including assistive technologies)
Here are accessibility heuristics from Paddison and Englefield, 2003:
1. Provide meaningful and relevant alternatives to non-text elements
2. Support consistent and correctly tagged navigation
3. Allow complete and efficient keyboard usage
4. Respect users' browser settings
5. Ensure appropriate use of standard and proprietary controls
6. Do not rely on colour alone to code and distinguish
7. Allow users control of potential distractions
8. Allow users to understand and control time restraints
9. Make certain the Web site is content compatible with assistive technologies
Here are guidelines adapted from http://www.ld-web.org:
Use plain language
Here are some questions to keep in mind at each step in a task, taken from Spencer's streamlined cognitive walkthrough. Clayton Lewis has added supplementary questions to increase the specific focus on accessibility.