Debenhams Website Analysis: A Heuristic Evaluation

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Website Analysis

Introduction
Debenhams is an international brand with multiple chains across the globe. It is based in the
United Kingdom. It a well now interactive system that allows the users to shop their desirable
products from the website that would be delivered to them as per the delivery guidelines. This
website has been chosen in this scenario because this website completely follows all the heuristic
principles and hence it would be convenient to perform any study on it. In the following report,
an analysis of this website is done and the success as well as the failures along with the strength
and the weakness of the organization. In the course of this report, various studies and researches
would be done over the website. After going through this whole report a learner would be having
the ability to perform the tasks such as choosing an interactive system for the study,
identification and development of use cases as well as the various aspects in which the website
work, defining and establishing the usability requirement points, selecting the methods that
justify the evaluation and defining the whole procedure of evaluation of the website and lastly, to
find the discoveries that are made due to the evaluation of the websites that include strength and
weakness and success points as well as failure points that might affect the development of the
website. The language of the report is tried to be kept as easy as possible.

The chosen interactive system.
The website that has been chosen for this report is Debenhams: debenhams.com. Debenhams is
an international brand with multiple chains across the globe. It is based in the United Kingdom.
It a well now interactive system that allows the users to shop their desirable products from the
website that would be delivered to them as per the delivery guidelines (Debenhams, 2019). This
website has been chosen in this scenario because this website completely follows all the heuristic
principles and hence it would be convenient to perform any kind of study as well as research on
it (Debenhams, 2019). The website supports all types of operating systems and platforms such
as Android, Macintosh, and Windows etc.
Usecase Identification
Following are the use cases that are found out for the whole usage of Debenhams website.

All the use cases are explained below:
Customer: The customer is the person to whom all the services that are given by the website are
provided. The customer is the one who will be using the website in order to purchase the items
that are sold over the website. In the website of Debenhams, the customer is also having a
facility to provide their feedback so that they can improve themselves.
Admin: The admin is the system that manages the whole website and all the processes that are
involved in the website such as, verifying a user, input the user details in the user database,
creating transaction, updating stock of items and many more. Basically the admin system is the
type of system that runs the whole website.
Register: In the process of registering the user or the customer would have to enter the basic
details of them such as name, email address, phone number, password etc. The registration
process is required for the website in order to differentiate between regular and new customers
and provide the offers and benefits accordingly (Sousa, et. al., 2017).
Login: In the use case of login it is explained that after the user has successfully registered
themselves they will be having the ability to login themselves and they will be taken to the login
page where they will have to enter the login credentials that they entered while registering
(Sousa, et. al., 2017).
Verification: Once the user has entered their credentials, the admin system would be verifying
whether the credentials that are entered by the user are authentic or not as per the user database.
If the data is correct, the user is allowed to be logged in, but if the credentials are not correct, the
user is asked to try again until they put the right credentials (Sousa, et. al., 2017).
Choose the item: As per this use case, the user will now have to choose the item they have to
buy from the website and the various products that are available on Debenhams. They can search
the item form the already enlisted items on the page and also from the search bar that is available
for them to search the item they need (Sousa, et. al., 2017).
Choose Specification: Once the item has been chosen the user would have to choose the
specification of the item that they want to buy, for example if they are buying something to wear,
the in this use case they have to choose the size of the cloths, similarly if they want to buy smart
phones then in that case they have to choose the RAM and Memory of the phone (Sabharwal and
Sibal, 2017).
Place The order: Once the user have exactly found what they have to buy, they can proceed
with the process and place the order. There they will be redirected page where they will have to
enter the details such as coupon code, if available, quantity of the item, any personal delivery
instructions etc (Sabharwal and Sibal, 2017).
Choose Payment Option: Once the order is placed, the user will be asked to choose the mode of
payment with they want to pay for the particular order. The payment options that are available
for the customers at Debenhams are cash on delivery, net banking, credit cards, debit cards, e-
wallets, reward points etc (Sabharwal and Sibal, 2017).

Make Payment: Once the user has decided the payment method with which they will make the
payment, the complete payment would be made and the details of the transactions would be sent
and updated by the admin system (Sabharwal and Sibal, 2017).
Generate Invoice: After the success of the payment, an invoice of the whole order would be
generated and it will be sent to the user on their mail for any future purposes (Sabharwal and
Sibal, 2017).

Evaluation Methodology
The evaluation methodology that has been used for this research on Debenhams website of
online shopping is the heuristics principles. There are 10 heuristics principles and all of them are
followed in the Debenhams websites. Following are the 10 Heuristics Principals
 Visibility of Status: The user must be all the time aware about what is going on in the
application at the moment. For this in the Debenhams website, a track bar is provided to the
user so that they can navigate across the application and go to the homepage from anywhere.
 Match Between System and The Real world: The language used in the application must be
understandable to the user. For this, in the Debenhams website, while the creation, all the
pages were made to be translatable in any language that is available and whenever the language
of the website might not be understandable for the user, they will be having an option to
translate the page (Uxness, 2014).
 User control and Freedom: In case the user accidently chooses an option that opens an
unwanted activity. Then in that case the user must be able to see a clear option to exit the
unwanted activity of the application or undo the action the user did. For this in the Debenhams
website, an back button is provided which is available at all the activities that are present in the
whole website so that the user can go the homepage from any other activity
 Error Prevention: There must be proper error messages for the errors occurring in the
application, and even better than that would be if there are no errors present in the application
at the first place. For this while the creation of the Debenhams website, best tools were used for
the testing of the website and for every error that might occur while a user is using the website,
a proper understandable message has been drafted
 Helping user recognize, diagnose and resolve the identified error: The error message must
state the error clearly and precisely and understandable to the user. The steps to remove the
error are stated along with the message in which the problem is tried to be made understand to
the user who is facing the issue, in the case of Debenhams website (Uxness, 2014).
 Consistency and Standards: A pattern must be followed as per the application for all the buttons
and other elements to be put in the application so that user does not get confused whether the
different styles means same thing or not. All the activities that are present in the Debenhams
website are following a single specific theme that has a homepage option, the search bar and
the option for the user to see their cart (Uxness, 2014).
 Recognition rather Recall: The application must have a record of previous inputs given by the
user. For this in the Debenhams website whenever there is an input given by the user, it is saved
in the database of that particular user so that whenever user searches for the same item again,
the particular item is shown to them at the top along with others below (Uxness, 2014).
 User Flexibility and Efficiency The use of accelerators must be done as it increases the pace of
interaction with user regardless of whether the user is new or experienced (Penha, M., 2014).
 Aesthetic and Minimalist Design: There must be no extra or irrelevant information on the
activities of the application. For this in the Debenhams website, it is tried to be made as simple

as possible and no extra information or any unwanted information is provided to the user until
they asked for it (Penha, M., 2014).
 Help and Documentation: There must be an activity that takes questions and feedbacks from
the user and also displays it to the organization that owns the application. For this in the
Debenhams website, there is a an activity of contacting the customer care of the Debenhams in
order to resolve any issue of the user (Penha, M., 2014).
Evaluation of the Heuristic principles
This evaluation provides the way which can be useful for determining how the heuristic
principles sued in Debenhams shopping website.
1. Transparency for system updates:
This principle can be used as it shows the updating on the website. This principle can easily
show the transparency for any type of updating occurs on the website. It will give accessibility to
a user to finding out the things that what is going with the website, what updates are coming,
which products are added on recently. It provides the way through which the users can able to
know about any type of changes that can be changed at the dashboard of the shopping website.
All the users can see all type of items in th4e proper manner. This provides the perfect
transparency of items to the user.
1. Combine the system with the real world:
This principle provides the facility to user to know each and everything because it provides the
user-readable language not the machine code language. Through this principle, the user can be
able to understand the things that are seen on the dashboard of the website. All the phrases of the
language are familiar with the user and all the updates are also in the natural logical manner. All
the convections are following the concept which is based on the real world. It would provide the
correct things that will available in their stocks. This facility did not provide the stock issue and
all the tasks are getting completed perfectly.
1. Freedom to access and control by the user:
This principle provides the option for undoing or redo. Through this thing, the user can easily
quit the site if they were mistakenly login. This principle provides the user to control all the
mistakes and provides the emergency exit. This principle makes the Debenhams more attractive.
Users have the freedom to use it in a very precise manner. By using this principle, the user can
easily mark their mistakes and leave the shopping site whenever they want. It also provides the
facility to add on many things in the queue, this will save their time. It gives freedom to each
user to visit and purchasing any type of item through which the user can easily purchase the
items by the online way and also saves time.
1. Consistency and standards:

This principle maintains consistency. As this can maintain the color, theme, and combination in
the same manner. This website uses light colors and remains the same through the site. The
actions or the words or phrases are consistent. This principle follows the platform convections, it
means that all the actions, blogs remain the same throughout the entire website. The blogs define
the design of dresses or costumes accurately and this will provide consistency in the website. The
size of the blogs is remaining the same. This website follows the particular design in the entire
home page, dashboard or the other pages. It gives them an attractive look and all the visitors can
also attract because this website has not used the combination of dark color which provides the
perfect look to the website.
1. Error prevention:
This principle helps in the find out the errors in the website. If any error will be finding the
message will be shown and prevents the person by utilizing it further. Through the error
messages, the mistake can be easily recognizing. So, the user can easily find action and change
all the codes according to that message. The actions in the shopping website from the user side
can be safe if the errors will be a check on a timely basis or by eliminating the error-prone
conditions in the shopping website. Through this principle, all the errors can be indicated by the
message. So, that user can easily identify it and correct the mistakes.
1. Recognition instead of recalling:
This principle provides the facility to only learn the important aspects of the website. It never
supports the remembrance of the entire dialogue for the actions. It provides the facilities to a user
by showing all the actions and the options visible. In this, the user does not have to recall each
thing because all the things are in visualize manner through which all the images of the dresses
are easily available and it makes the interactive to them. It provides the details of dresses as in
the proper manner through which the user can easily know what things are included in the
website.
1. Use efficiency and flexibility:
This principle makes the flexibility in the website through which the users can easily understand
the concept of shopping website and easily interact with the persons whether they are
experienced or inexperienced. This gives the chance to the user to give actions on the spot
through which the website content can easily be understood. This website focuses on providing
the upcoming plans. It provides the facility to visit this application by any person but require the
security through which the privacy of the contents will be maintained. It has the flexibility
through which the user can easily access all type of things and a user can easily login or register
on the website.
1. The design should be minimalist:
The design has the true content. It means that the information about the items on the website will
be true. This facility provides in the Debenhams shopping website. This principle focused on the

specific values of the website; it means that it provides the user with up-to-date information.
Initially, the website makes confusion in the user's mind but the content involved in the website
make perfection. The screen of the shopping website can be arranged in a sequence manner and
all the several tasks can be involved with tags.
1. Help users from recovering through errors:
The errors should be received are by the messages and the messages are in the normal language
form that can be readable to any user. So, the user can easily recognize the errors. The errors will
be found in a user-friendly manner, not depending on the coding language. So, if the user orders
any item by mistake then it will show the error and then the user can easily quit from that site.
The users can easily free out from the errors due to the undo and redo option.
1. Documentation/help:
This principle helps the user to take help for any system information. There is the option on the
dashboard of the shopping website through which the user can easily communicate with the
system and can solve its queries by seeing the steps that involve in a solution for the queries. The
home page involves the help option or the contact option through which the user can easily get
rid of the problems that make them curious
Task 6:
The evaluation process can also determine the factors through which it can possible to find out
the strength and weakness of a shopping website named as the Debenhams. The evaluation
process implies all factors and according to that, it shows all type of functions that involve in the
shopping site.
Strength of Debenhams:
 The interface of user can easily be adaptable.
 The user interface is work in an eco-friendly manner.
 Various items of different brands are present.
 It can provide the whole information about the owner of the website.
 It can provide the facility of the email and fax number.
 Easily defines the concept of making the site.
 Positively targeted the audience.
The strength of this website is that it provides the information of the author and can easily access
from any type of user whether the user is employed or unemployed. It can easily fulfill the
concept for which it is made. It can easily attract the audience by offering benefits in favor of the
audience. It provides the helping option through which the member's acne easily take help if they
find out any type of issues in shopping. The user interface is described adorably or it can be said
that it is user-friendly along with eco-friendly. It can be easily accessible in any area only the
condition is that the user has valid internet connections. It can easily provide the updates on the

website. It can easily access new technologies and provide transparency to each user. This
website allows the user to add on more and more items at a time, which saves the time of the
user and this point is the major attraction point for the viewers. It also provides the facility of
redo the mistakes if any taken place. It provides the redo and undoes option.
The weakness of the Debenhams:
This site has many advantages along with few weaknesses. They are described as it has very low
promotional activities. It means the images are very old in contracts of the updating and
involvement of the new technologies. Due to resolution activities, all the visibility decreases
down and also it affects down the currency factors. Resolution means that the time of loading
any website is very low and due to this the visibility is not clear. Images are loaded in a blurred
manner. The details of the contacts are not perfect
Success in Debenhams shopping website:
If all the demands of the user can fulfill by the website contents, then the success can easily be
achieved. This website provides the ease of use which can attract several visitors and it will
increase the demand for the contents on the website. The website is constructed or design by
using the principle of heuristic. It provides compatibility in the use of the shopping website.
Through which the user can easily access to the website. The process of evaluation of concepts is
much easier because it follows the concept of heuristic principles. This all can be achieved
successfully if the website can be managed or updated on time
Failures in Debenhams shopping website:
The failure is the part of any project or any business. This website has the success side along
with the failure side. It needs a great knowledge to fix all the problems so that it requires the
proper information about all the heuristic principles. It involves the quality factor; it means that
the designing concept is not that much effect that's why it needs the high command over the
concepts.

Appendix