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(Accessibility and usability heuristic evaluations combined with cognitive walkthroughs)

Evaluation Completed by:    Kathy Moore

URL:  http://wiki.fluidproject.org/pages/createpage.action?spaceKey=fluid&fromPageId=328018
Date: September 12, 2007

Heuristic reviews and cognitive walkthroughs were performed on a Dell pc at 1152 resolution and millions of colors using Firefox on Win xp over a T1 connection.

See UX Walkthrough Heuristics for heuristics used in this evaluation.

Scope of Walkthrough

•    See uPortal Evaluation Plan

User profile(s) and context of use:

Persona: Ed McClellan, Undergraduate
uPortal: Public/Guest page, Login, UBC WebMail, Info Finder, News, Classifieds
Profiles will generally only be used for the cognitive walk-through, not the heuristic evaluation. However, users may be set up with a certain role in the system (e.g. student, instructor) for the heuristic evaluation.

•    See Sakai Personas

Scenarios

Scenarios will generally only be used for the cognitive walk-through, not the heuristic evaluation. However, it is fine to use these scenarios for the heuristic evaluation if it is helpful to evaluators in figuring out how to walk through the application. See uPortal Content Management Scenarios for a list of all possible scenarios. Evaluators will likely only cover some of the scenarios, in one of the roles, in their individual evaluations.

•    General Overview (heuristic evaluation)
•    Finding.....
•    Scenario: Ed has just completed his first-time student registration process and is now going to the portal to check his institution email for the first time. Ed is also curious about what online services are offered and what the university portal is like. (portal, login, webmail)
•    Scenario: Ed is finishing registering for spring semester classes for his freshman year and needs to clarify and verify the registration deadlines. (calendar and/or announcements)
•    Scenario: Ed would like to find out if anyone is selling a cheap couch that he can put in his dorm room. (classifieds)

Assumptions for this evaluation:

•    [List any additional assumptions used in evaluation]

 Positive Findings

All positive findings, from both the heuristic evaluation and the cognitive walk-through, should be placed in this section. 

Usability Positives

Tool

Evaluator

Tabs provide clear navigation

Tabs

Kathy Moore

Window manipulation tools provide flexibility

Minimize, maximize, delete, (detach)

 

Page is clearly structured into (clearly-labeled?) logical sections

Tabs, columns, channels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accessibility Positives

Tool

Evaluator

Page is clearly structured into (clearly-labeled?) logical sections
Some labels are clearer than others.

Tabs, columns, channels

Kathy Moore

Channel controls (shade, focus, remove) show alt/title tags

Shade, Focus, Remove

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary of Usability & Accessibility Issues Found 

All usability & accessibility issues found, in both the heuristic evaluation and the cognitive walk-through, should be placed in this section. 

Priority Legend:

High = Task cannot be completed

Medium = Task completed with significant effort and failed attempts

Low = Task completed with minor complications and/or annoyance 

Usability Issues

Principle

Link to screen shots

Priority

Suggestions for solution

Tool

Component Identified?

"Channel" language may be unfamiliar

Match between system and the real world: The system should speak users' language, with words, phrases, and concepts familiar to the user.

Low

Is "window" a more familiar term?

Channel

 

"Channels" do not all follow same behavior; One allows use within uPortal, another appears in new tab. A few links replace uPortal in existing window.

Consistency and standards



Medium

Use different visual metaphors and language to describe "channels" that do or do not keep the user in uPortal.

Channel/
May be a matter of best practices

 

Some text overlaps on Win xp Firefox even at normal size, 1152px width; were designers on mac?

Visibility

Medium

Allow text to stack

Use shorter titles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Accessibility Issue

Principle

Link to screen shot

Priority

Suggestions for solution

Tool

Component identified?

In win Firefox, Home screen scrolls horizontally at 800X600; rightmost of three columns is entirely hidden.

screen should adjust to different resolutions

 

Medium

Lefthand column should collapse to share screen

Channel?

 

Is minimize (shade) omitted from the tab sequence?

All functionality should be available via tabs

 

 

 

 

 

Many links spawn new tabs/windows. Is this an accessibility issue?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cognitive Walkthrough Worksheet

This section should be used by evaluators to keep track of the steps & screens they followed through the application in the cognitive walk-through. Any positive results or issues found should be included in the two sections above.

Scenario 1:  Ed has just completed his first-time student registration process and is now going to the portal to check his institution email for the first time. Ed is also curious about what online services are offered and what the university portal is like. (portal, login, webmail)

#

Step

Screen

Comments/issues

Principle

Suggestions for solution

1

Read some of initial screen

 

 

 

 

2

Log in

 

Works well, as expected

 

 

3

Go through Webmail

 

Seems to work well, consistent with other web-based email clients

 

 

4

Try Info  Finder tab; explore channels

 

Useful services here: Bookmarks, Google, FAQ services

 

 

5

Explore more channels in Info Finder

Some links and submit buttons stay in uPortal, some launch a new tab;This is puzzling; at worst, the user can't figure out how to go "back." At best, he doesn't know, when launching a link, what to expect.

Consistency and standards

Maybe links that won't stay on uPortal should be segregated in another tab or column.

6

Still exploring channels on Info Finder

Long channel names overset control button in win Firefox; Title is hard to read, buttons very hard to click.

Flexibility and efficiency of use.

Stick to shorter titles where in control, Recode to let buttons appear in front of text so they remain more usable.

7

Click caret-shaped button on "Vancouver - Ask Me"  channel (far right)

1

2

3

Channels resize oddly before page restores and channel display is minimized; first column expands to fill whole page.

Flexibility and efficiency of use.

This seems like a bug first and a design problem second.

8

Exploring tabs: News

First folder clicked opens, offers edit possibilities (Globe and news)

See below

 

 

 

9

Exploring tabs: News

Next folder clicked will not open.

On another try, I couldn't open the "Globe and Mail" folder shown open here

Consistency and Standards

 

10

Exploring tabs: News

Click on headline in displayed listings  on right (see above.)

Clicked link comes up in new tab

Consistency and standards

Would prefer that all channels remained in uPortal

11

Explore tabs, events

 

OK

 

 

12

Explore tabs, Classified

 

OK, easy to navigate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Scenario 2: 

Ed would like to find out if anyone is selling a cheap couch that he can put in his dorm room. (classifieds)

Question: Is the way this scenario plays out really about uPortal and its design, or is it about components and their design, perhaps about best practices in assembling content for uPortal?

That's my question about many of the scenarios . . .

It might be useful for Fluid to assemble "Best practices," a non-technical guide to creating and customizing a campus portal.

#

Step

Screen

Comments/issues

Principle

Suggestions for solution

1

See "Classified" tab

 

 

 

2

Click "Furniture"

 

 

 

3

Find free couch!

 

 

 

2b

User search box

 

 

 

3b

Find several couches!

This works SO well!
At least four things make it work well:

  1. The application has been designed to work within the portal 
  2. Most users have experience with online shopping and/or classified services, so they know what to look for and expect.
  3. The application is well-designed to follow these expectations.
  4. There are free or inexpensive couches available. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Scenario 3:  

Ed is finishing registering for spring semester classes for his freshman year and needs to clarify and verify the registration deadlines. (calendar and/or announcements)

Question: Is the way this scenario plays out really about uPortal and its design, or is it about components and their design, perhaps about best practices in assembling content for uPortal?

That's my question about many of the scenarios . . .

It might be useful for Fluid to assemble "Best practices," a non-technical guide to creating and customizing a campus portal.

#

Step

Screen

Comments/issues

Principle

Suggestions for solution

1

Check  events calendar

 

 

 

2

In calendar, try list view for easier scanning

Neither refreshing nor rebooting seemed to do anything

 

 

3

Log out and in, try again;
 Do text search for "Registration."

 

 

 

4

Check "View" box

 

 

 

 

5

Check site map, do text search on "announcements," "academic."

No academic category

 

 

6

Return to portal

The calendar has remained within the portal, so return is seamless

 

 

7

Start through tabs; See info Finder, IT Services--Ask Me.

 

 

 

8

Bingo?

Well, sort of "bingo." It still took lots of digging at http://www.students.ubc.ca/, but that isn't exactly myUBC's issue---is it?
I can't really see what is and isn't at the Student Service Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Scenario 4:  Brief description

#

Step

Screen

Comments/issues

Principle

Suggestions for solution

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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