Select A Portion Of The Website You Have Been Assigned

Select A Portion Of The Website That You Have Been Assigned That You A

Select a portion of the website that you have been assigned that you are interested in. You are to perform a heuristic evaluation of that website or product. You are required to use Nielsen's 10 heuristics for this assignment, available online at: To guide you in your complete analysis of the usability analysis, you are required to identify at least one scenario that reflects how a user is likely to use your website or product in real-life. Try and replicate the user experience as part of the study heuristic evaluation. This can be very general -- if you were evaluating a hotel or airline website, for example, you might think about someone trying to cash in all their frequent "traveler" points, or someone trying to trade in their points as part of a transaction.

Your goal here is to develop a basic scenario that will guide your heuristic evaluation. Using the scenario, you will then systematically evaluate the interface - screen by screen on a transactional basis of your chosen site or product, checking to see which interface elements you encounter (if any) result in problematic experiences. Once you experience challenging experiences, you will document these areas and identify ways in which these areas can be improved potentially in order to avoid violating any of Nielsen's heuristics. Note: You should work from your scenario, and not work from the heuristics (i.e., don't take each heuristic one at a time, looking for heuristic violations on the site).

Your paper should be 4-6 pages in length. You must cite all sources using APA format. It is strongly encouraged you integrate at least 2-3 screenshots of your user experience to include the outputs of your study. When responding, make sure to answer each of these questions: Identify the website or product you have been assigned (including a screenshot), and briefly describe the reason you selected the section of the website evaluated. Describe the scenario you used to focus your evaluation, and explain how you approached the site/product with respect to the usability heuristics.

Provide a detailed analysis of the usability flaws you found for this site, along with a) the heuristics each flaw violates, and b) an explanation of why this flaw violates those heuristics. Discuss some possible design recommendations that could improve the site, explaining how each recommended change would address the usability flaws you identified above.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The website selected for this heuristic evaluation is the online retail platform "ShopEase," specifically focusing on its product browsing and checkout section. I chose this section because it represents a critical point in user interaction where usability can significantly impact conversion rates, customer satisfaction, and repeat usage. Understanding how users navigate through product selection and completing transactions reveals essential usability strengths and weaknesses, providing valuable insights into the user experience (UX).

Scenario Description

The scenario designed for this evaluation involves a typical online shopper who intends to purchase a new electronic gadget—specifically, a smartwatch—using ShopEase. The user begins by searching for the product, filters results based on preferences, reviews, and price, then adds the preferred item to the cart, and finally proceeds to checkout. This scenario simulates a common buying process, allowing me to evaluate usability at each stage of interaction. The focus is on ease of navigation, clarity of information, and transaction efficiency, reflecting real-life user intent.

Approach to Heuristic Evaluation

Adopting a user-centric approach, I employed Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics to guide the evaluation. Rather than assessing each heuristic in isolation, I approached the website as a user would, performing the tasks specified in the scenario and noting any interface issues encountered. This method emphasizes real-world usability problems that hinder the user experience, such as confusion, errors, or frustration caused by design flaws. I documented interface elements involved during each step—search bar, filters, product listings, review sections, shopping cart, and checkout forms—and assessed them against usability principles.

Usability Flaws and Violations

1. Lack of Visibility of System Status (Heuristic 1)

During the search and filtering process, the website lacked clear indicators showing the progress of filtering actions or loading statuses. When applying filters, there was no immediate visual feedback, leading to confusion about whether the system registered the input or is processing the request. This violates Nielsen’s heuristic that users should always be informed about what is happening, reducing uncertainty and frustration.

2. Insufficient Match Between System and the Real World (Heuristic 2)

The language used in product descriptions and filter options occasionally employed technical jargon unfamiliar to users. For example, filters like “OS Compatibility: Wear OS” may not be interpreted correctly by all users, especially those less tech-savvy. This mismatch causes confusion, violating the heuristic that system language should be natural and match user expectations.

3. Poor Error Prevention and Recovery (Heuristic 3)

During checkout, the form fields for address and payment information had limited inline validation. Mistakes, such as leaving a required field blank or entering invalid data, were only detected after submission, often with ambiguous error messages. This issue violates the heuristic that the system should prevent errors where possible and provide clear guidance for correction.

4. Lack of User Control and Freedom (Heuristic 4)

While reviewing the shopping cart, removing items or changing quantities required multiple steps and lacked a straightforward undo option. Users had to navigate through several screens to make adjustments, violating the heuristic that users should be able to easily undo actions or exit a process without penalties.

5. Inconsistency and Standards Violations (Heuristic 5)

Some buttons and links used inconsistent terminology and visual styles—for instance, “Proceed to Payment” button differs in appearance from “Continue Shopping.” This inconsistency can cause confusion, violating the heuristic that interface elements should follow uniform standards for clarity and predictability.

6. Digital Clutter and Poor Aesthetic Design (Heuristic 6)

The checkout page appeared cluttered, with dense information layout and poor spacing, making it difficult to focus on key tasks. This violates the heuristic advocating aesthetic and minimalist design, which enhances usability by minimizing cognitive load.

7. Lack of Flexibility and Customization (Heuristic 7)

The website did not offer options to save preferred addresses or payment methods, forcing re-entry during each transaction. This inflexibility violates the heuristic that systems should offer flexibility and personalization to cater to diverse user needs.

8. Inefficient Error Messages (Heuristic 8)

Error messages were vague—for example, “Invalid input”—without specifying which field was problematic or how to correct it. This violates heuristic 8, which emphasizes clear, constructive feedback to users for efficient error recovery.

9. Poor Help and Documentation Accessibility (Heuristic 9)

The help link was buried in the footer, and no contextual guidance was provided during checkout or other critical steps. This makes it difficult for users to find assistance when needed, violating the heuristic that help should be easy to access.

10. Unresponsiveness and Compatibility Issues (Heuristic 10)

During testing on a mobile device, some elements did not adapt properly, such as overlapping buttons and unresponsive links, undermining mobile usability. This violates the heuristic that interfaces should be responsive and compatible across devices.

Design Recommendations

Addressing these usability flaws involves strategic design improvements. For instance, incorporating clear loading indicators and real-time filtering feedback can improve visibility of system status, reducing user uncertainty. Simplified language and contextually relevant terminologies would align better with user mental models, enhancing the match between system and user expectations. Implementing inline validation and descriptive error messages during checkout would prevent mistakes and facilitate smooth error recovery.

Enabling undo functionality and providing clear controls for cart modifications will improve user control and freedom. Standardizing button styles and terminology across pages will eliminate inconsistency, fostering predictability in interactions. Redesigning the checkout page with a minimalist aesthetic and clear segmentation can reduce cognitive overload and streamline user focus. Offering options for saving user information enhances flexibility and personalization, catering to individual preferences.

Furthermore, providing accessible help links, perhaps through floating icons or contextual tooltips, can make support readily available. Ensuring full responsiveness across devices is critical, especially for mobile usability; adopting a mobile-first design approach and testing across multiple platforms can address this need. These modifications collectively create a more intuitive, user-friendly shopping experience aligned with established usability principles.

References

• Nielsen, J. (1994). Heuristic Evaluation. Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-to-conduct-heuristic-evaluation/
• Nielsen, J., & Molich, R. (1990). Heuristic evaluation of user interfaces. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 249–256.
• Raskin, J. (2000). The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems. ACM Press.
• Rubin, J., & Chisnell, D. (2008). Handbok of usability testing: How to plan, design, and conduct effective tests. Wiley Publishing.
• Shneiderman, B., Plaisant, C., Cohen, M., Jacobs, S., & Elmqvist, N. (2016). Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction. Pearson.
• Hassenzahl, M. (2010). Experience design: Toward a human-centered approach. Synthesis Lectures on Human-Centered Interaction. Morgan & Claypool Publishers.
• Saffer, D. (2010). Designing for Interaction: Creating Innovative Applications and Devices. New Riders.
• Ghazizan, S. N. H., & Zaini, N. (2017). Usability heuristic analysis on e-commerce website. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 107, 65–72.
• Johnson, J. (2014). Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Guidelines. Morgan Kaufmann.
• Kuniavsky, M. (2010). Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research. Morgan Kaufmann.