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Web Usability

English 4200/8900 17371/16324 Spring 2008

 
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Website Critique & Recommendation

Due: on paper 2/28
Length: Undergrad: 2-4 pages, single spaced 10-12 pt font; graduate: 3-6 pages, single spaced 10-12 pt font

The purpose of this assignment it to apply, through critique, the web usability guidelines and the usability heuristics covered in class to the website of your choice.

To complete this project you will first need to choose a website that you think has problems to critique. I have emailed the department and may have some websites available for you to use for this project. You may also find it helpful if the site you choose for this project is the same one you work with for the Website Redesign Project. Next, you will need to develop your own usability guidelines for this critique. Draw on the usability guidelines and heuristics covered in class and feel free to use some or all of the heuristics you developed for the “online” 2/7 class.  You may choose to use any of the heuristics we covered in class or the readings, but you must have at least 10 solid heuristics. Also draw on any of the applicable concepts from the Nielsen book and other reading to create any other usability guidelines. Once you have created your own relevant heuristics and guidelines critique the chosen site with these.

Write up your critique in a report with applicable screenshots (screenshots should not count for length, and do make sure you label them correctly and refer to them in your report). Also, include a recommendation section in this report where you recommend changes to the website you critiqued based on your critique and your heuristics.

 

 

 

Parts of the report:

  • Executive summary: Summarize how the evaluation was done and what the main findings were.
  • Introduction: Provide a brief introduction to your method and procedure for the heuristic evaluation. Present road map to the rest of the report.
  • Inspection: provide information on what site was selected, context, scope, goals of evaluation. Also list and explain your heuristics.
  • Findings: Evaluate the site based on each heuristic and what other methods you are using. You can do this all in your text, or you may summarize in the text and present a table with more information. Highlight the key problems and strengths.
  • Recommendations: Provide each recommendation with data to support the recommendation (likely the support will be pulled form your findings section). Include the benefits of the recommendations and any drawbacks.
  • Conclusion: Summarize report. Restate main findings and recommendations. Include the main benefits of the recommendation(s).

 

 

Possible Ideas (from the Department):

 

Other Ideas:

  • Talking Traffic: Blog and home of Talking Traffic podcast (note: this is my husband's site). http://www.talkingtraffic.org/. Good for this and the Website Redesign Project. Contact: Bill Ruhsam
  • PodDisc: The podcast archive site for Escape Artists Inc.--where one can buy archive copies (Cd or DVD) of Escape Pod and Pseudopod. http://poddisc.com/. Good for this and the Website Redesign Project. Contact: Stephen F. Eley