Usability Heuristic Evaluation of Game Dev Story: Fall 2023

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Usability Evaluation of an
Interactive System

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1................................................................................................................................................1
The interactive system and its users............................................................................................1
Part 2................................................................................................................................................2
Use case for Game Dev Story......................................................................................................2
Part 3................................................................................................................................................5
The usability requirements..........................................................................................................5
Part 4................................................................................................................................................7
The evaluation methodology.......................................................................................................7
Part 5................................................................................................................................................9
Evaluation of the interactive sysem.............................................................................................9
Part 6..............................................................................................................................................15
The findings of the evaluation...................................................................................................15
References......................................................................................................................................17

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Use case for Game Dev Story..........................................................................................2
Figure 2: Interaction with the players..............................................................................................3
Figure 3: Evaluation of customer Feedback....................................................................................3
Figure 4: System Design..................................................................................................................4

Part 1
The interactive system and its users
Interactive system: Interactive system is referred to as computer based system that can be
differentiated by substantial interaction between a human and computer. Some of the common
example of the present day graphical interactive system is operating system like windows and
Macintosh. Other interactive system that are very common among the users are games and
simulation as they effective interacts with human at the time accessibility. Web browser along
with Integrated Development Environments falls under complex interactive system.
Selected interactive system: In the current report Game Dev Story has been taken into
consideration for understanding and enhancing its interaction with the users through its graphical
representation. The game is popular among kids. The game is a simulation.
Functions of the system: The undertaken game is designed keeping mind the children. Game’s
functions include calculating customer’s mood and to calculate feedback through algorithm. At
the time of conception the behaviour of customers are considered and it will be effective in
creating the core game. Thus, it becomes necessary to design feedback algorithm and customer
decision as two systems for designing the system in higher level.
Usability: In case of interactive system, usability can be classified as various factors including to
efficiency, safety, and user friendly and pleasant user Experience. For Game Dev Story,
Usability can be calculated on the basis of efficiency level, user satisfaction and effectiveness
offered by the system to the user (Göransson, 2001). The game is basically designed for kids.
Thus overall functionality and usability of the game is simple and easily operable. The game
hence designed is secure, safe and with the usability factor parent can effectively monitor their
children.
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Part 2
Use case for Game Dev Story
Figure 1: Use case for Game Dev Story
Before the actual system diagram, all the entities are listed down that is present in the proposed
system. Game Dev Story is management and accountant game (Shackel, 2009). This game is
played by random players considering the offered features and specification and according to
that decision is made for product purchase.
Some factors that are included in customer-player interaction include:
 Decision to purchase or Choose not purchasing for some reason
Discussions are considered on the basis of possibilities for why a player will not buy the game
like:
 Unavailable of the item or not in more
For customer interaction the game has a popularity meter for influencing the players to buy the
game from app store.
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Figure 2: Interaction with the players
The option of product is given only to the customer who buys the product. For conceptualising
customer interactive behaviour:
Calculating the feedback algorithm
 The preference of the customers are compared with respect to the recipes
 Popularity is added if answer is inside the ‘error’ range
 The popularity is reduce is this criteria is not fulfilled
Figure 3: Evaluation of customer Feedback
Overall System Design
The customer behaviour is considered before designing a system for the entire game. Presently,
there are 3 phase for the game which are Customer Interaction, Player Interaction, and End as
illustrated below:
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Figure 4: System Design
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Part 3
The usability requirements
Usability in an interactive system is primary requirement. This is so because in case the learning
system for the current game is not usable then it became complex to learn the game and kids will
require more time to watch the user and for avoiding the circumstance usability is an added
dimension. The usability requirement analysis is essential for analysing the game to make it
effective and easy for the kids. Some of usability requirement for the game as an interactive
system is discussed below:
Usability requirement
User control and freedom: It is one factor that is effective in measuring the usability of the
interactive system. The game current is effective in offering user with freedom to operate as per
their wish, there are no particular set of function or activities. The kids can create their own
recipes and chose to serve the customers as per their wish (Shackel, 2009). The game process is
quite simple that included effective time management practices for stage completion. Game has
three different phase including customer interaction, player interaction, and lastly the end phase.
However, the player in every phase has freedom for governing the game and serving the
customer as per their requirement. Free usability and flexibility in the game is effective in
maintaining popularity of the game attracting kids to be involved in the game.
Performance measure: Performance testing is done for measuring the overall performance and
usability of the game through arduous evaluation of the working system. Using the performance
testing, it is quite easy to recognize and understand issues of the game regarding its usability
faced by player considering measures of user satisfaction, success rate, along with task time.
Considering the Use diagram for the function of the game the overall performance of the game
can be calculated. Performance measurement can be effective in detecting the issues and
problems related to the game. Software in the game function is effective in adding game
functions in the game for enhancing overall performance and improving usability.
Help and documentation: The game has a feature named Help and documentation that offer help
and support to the new user of the game offering them with instructions and commands to play
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and understand the game easily. The user may sometime get stuck in the middle of the game
while playing and has no idea what to do next. To minimise the complexity and confusion the
help option is very effective. In some cases, the new players may face issues or difficulty during
stage completion so they might requires some assistance for winding up the game (Blouin, and
Beaudoux, 2010). This function of this particular game offers the player to ask questions
directly to the system related to faced issues and as a reply solution to the problem will be
offered showing the usability.
Recognition then recall: Both recall and recognition are the terms which are used for referring to
memorise a function or system in case of an interactive system. For any case, recognition is
tranquil in comparison to that of recalling. User can memorise the a sign or a control button in
rather than recalling a step or language. In case the current game, the user can effectively
recognise the button and controls due to their standard button illustration in the game’s interface.
Thus, it becomes easy for the user to play the game easily. With the help of specific button the
user at the interface can recognise further steps and procedure for effective completion of the
game. Usability of interactive system comprises game help for proper system assessment and
satisfying requirement.
Error rates: One for measurement that can be used for usability is calculation of the overall error
rate while operating the game and during task completion. Some of the errors while playing or
accessing the Game may include mistakes, bugs, slips, omissions or any kind of unintended
actions impacting the overall game (Benyon, 2014). These errors can be avoided by assigning
functions assignment with brief details, classification along with rating for severity. Moreover,
the overall process is time consuming but number of errors in the system can be counted
effectively that falls under system usability.
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Part 4
The evaluation methodology
Importance of evaluation methodology and its requirement
Evaluation methodology can be defined as a measuring the usability of the interactive system
that helps in analysing its accuracy and effectiveness. In the current task, the systematic
evaluation method applications will help in focusing on the usability of the Game Dev Story
video game. Cognitive walkthrough and heuristic evaluation are two methods of the evaluation
methodology that use in evaluating the usability of the Game Dev Story. Game usability can be
evaluated through interactive system inspection, system testing and system inquiry. In the
interactive system inspection approach, specialists, usability inspection professionals and
software developers will inspects it in related to the user interface aspects (Kushniruk et.al,
2015). In the usability testing approach, by using the system, users mainly work on the
distinctive tasks and then the outcome is used by the evaluators to see that how the user interface
will be supportive for users to accomplish the task in the Game Dev Story. In the last inquiry
methodology, for considering the system performance, the observation is conducted of the
system.
Usability inspection approach
This approach will be helpful to examine the usability the Game Dev Story and this will be done
with the help of professionals, specialists and software developers that have experience and
knowledge of the interactive system and its usability. This approach testing involves three
methods such as cognition walkthrough, heuristic evaluation and action analysis.
Cognition walkthrough approach: As per this approach, evaluator and the group of evaluators
examine the user interface with the help of learning ease and task set. This inspection approach is
helpful in analysing the effect of action that has taken by the users and the task will be
accomplished accordingly. The limitation of this approach is that it consumes more time as it
involves large complex task and also the end users do not involve in the usability evaluation
(Power and Fox, 2014).
Heuristic evaluation approach: As per this approach, usability specialist judges judge the
usability of the Game Dev Story and dialogue element that ensure that usability principles is
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followed or not in this game. After the execution analysis of the usability principles, the outcome
of the interactive system usability is also communicate by the one evaluators with other
evaluators that helps in analysis overall effectiveness of the system (Kushniruk et.al, 2015).
Action analysis: This approach involves the close examination of action sequences that are
perform by the users during completing the game phases. This also helps in assessing the time
taken during performing the action while playing Game Dev Story. But this approach also has
advantage as this approach consume more time.
Selected evaluation methodology for Game Dev Story usability evaluation
As per analysis, the Heuristic Evaluation method is significant and effective as this is helpful in
application of recognised functions in the game that develop more user friendly system and also
accepts the usability principles. This usability approach is also helpful as this enable in
identifying major as well as minor problems that can be faced by the users while playing the
Game Dev Story (Hermawati and Lawson, 2016).
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Part 5
Evaluation of the interactive sysem
Evaluation of the usability and functionality of the current interactive system has been done by
two the trained researchers using the method of heuristic evaluation. The system’s interface is
assessed against different principle of design consider3ed while developing the system to achieve
system design that is highly usable with features including, User control and freedom, Error
prevention, Consistency and standards, Flexibility and efficiency, Help users to recognise,
diagnose, along with error recovery, Recognition than recall, Help and documentation, Match
system and real world.
The selected researcher for the system is expected to evaluate the system’s display interface for
each principles of design considering the observation of the game based on priority scale rating
from 1-5. With high or sever priority is obtained then accordingly suitable actions or activities
are done. The system is evaluated individually at the initial level and results are collected and
then result achieved from the different evaluator is combined to achieve the final result of
evaluation (Card, 2018. ). If an issue was found for any of the evaluators then proper discussions
are made coming to conclusion effectively with effective modification and recommendation. But
in case both the evaluators do not agree to the conclusion then the issues as a whole was
neglected or rejected.
The system was evaluated and them the overall system usability for the current interface was
rated and scored by the evaluated according to their observation and evaluation. The score for
interface usability was determined effectively using priority scores for all the heuristic
categories. Here score 3 was considered low, is score is between 4 -5 then the score was
considered medium and if the combined score was more than 5 then it was states to be high with
lowest score for usability. The parameter with high score has low usability. In case of the current
interactive system, evaluation is done through these non-empirical methods with an aim to
estimating usability level, for recognizing areas that are currently problematic, and also for
offering guidance to the system designer for future referral to increase the system usability with
few modifications as per recommendation (Müller, and Gross, 2004).
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