Human Factors Company: Smartphone Usability Evaluation Report

This report presents a usability evaluation of a smartphone device conducted by a student, focusing on human factors and user experience design. The evaluation utilizes heuristic evaluation techniques to identify usability problems within the user interface. The report is structured into two parts, the first part provides a documentation approach for undertaking the evaluation approach, the second part provides the summary analysis of the evaluation and the results. The report outlines the evaluation process, including task analysis, user profiling, and the application of usability specifications. It discusses the chosen evaluation methods, including heuristic evaluation and user observations, highlighting their merits and demerits. The report also covers the planning of the evaluation, choice of evaluators, and the analysis of the results, providing recommendations for improving the smartphone's usability and user experience. The report is a valuable resource for anyone interested in user-centered design and usability testing, and is available on Desklib to help students learn.

Contents
Part 1..........................................................................................................................................4
Heuristic Evaluation...............................................................................................................5
Part 2..........................................................................................................................................5
Task 1: Heuristic Evaluation..................................................................................................5
Task 2:....................................................................................................................................7
Task 3.....................................................................................................................................7
Task 4.....................................................................................................................................9
Task 5...................................................................................................................................10
Task 6...................................................................................................................................12
Conclusion................................................................................................................................13
References................................................................................................................................14

Executive Summary
A start up Human Factors Company undertaking the evaluations of interactive devices and
systems in everyday use is to be developed. Evaluations and recommendations in terms of
task functionality, usability, safety, security and design aesthetics are being discussed. The
motto of the assignment is to provide a practical experience of evaluating the usability of an
interactive device or system. In this case the smart phone was taken into consideration. It
provides opportunity in order to develop communication and interaction skills that are of
utmost importance in the workplace. The various discussed are in the form of selecting an
appropriate usability evaluation strategy and setting of usability goals to successfully conduct
the evaluation.

Part 1
To provide a relevant documentation approach for undertaking the evaluation approach.
A Smartphone device is taken into consideration for the evaluation. Heuristic evaluation
technique has been has been chosen and it is going to be discussed thoroughly.
Introduction
Usability is a practice of interface quality. It is defined as the measure of effectiveness and
satisfaction that the users can perform tasks with tools such as Smartphone. Evaluation
usability is considered as the crucial part of any user interface tasks. It is an essential task of
any system related user interface experience. Through this way a number interface system
related issues are resolved (Ivory and Hearst, 2001). Usability is often regardless the process
through which the system usability and the user experience can be enhanced.
Heuristic Evaluation
It is a type of inspection method used for the computer software. It is basically a usability
inspection method. It is helpful in the identification of the usability problems that arises in the
user interface (UI) design. This kind of evaluation procedures are widely used in media
department. This is used where the user interfaces are designed in a critical manner.
Part 2
To provide the summary analysis of your evaluation and the results
A key to the potential success of your business will be to show to potential clients, that you
have specialist skills and understanding of Human Factors tools and techniques. It is required
to undertake an evaluation of a device in order to show potential clients.
Task 1: Heuristic Evaluation
To identify and select an appropriate device that you can use to undertake the evaluation.
Heuristic Evaluation:
It is a type of inspection method used for the computer software. It is basically a usability
inspection method. It is helpful in the identification of the usability problems that arises in the
user interface (UI) design. This kind of evaluation procedures are widely used in media
department. This is used where the user interfaces are designed in a critical manner. This is

used where the designs are taking place in a short span of time and within a limited budget
leads to certain issues.
The main aim of Heuristic evaluation is the identification and determination of problems
connected with user interfaces. This evaluation technique is considered as one of the most
informal way of evaluation process (Paz, Paz, Villanueva and Pow-Sang , 2015). The usefulness
of the heuristic evaluation is benefitted at the initial stage of design. These usability
inspection methods do not require any form of formal testing. Since these testing includes
heavy load of tasks followed by the need of users, a location of their testing and payment to
test. Heuristic evaluation method is very simple as it does not require any complex evaluation
process reducing the amount of time and effort. To Plan of Evaluation
 To develop set of tasks
 Evaluators must carry out these tasks
 The goal of the system must be known to the evaluators
 The evaluators must be able to develop their own set of tasks
 The evaluators must be asked to access the dialogue elements
 Choice of Evaluators
 Heuristic review technique
The expert review heuristic evaluation method is very simple as it does not require any
complex evaluation process reducing the amount of time and is very similarly concerned with
the Heuristic evaluation. The expert review, also known as website audit is a type of
inspection method to find out the usability. The method is designed to determine the usability
issues in an online product or the online services. The audit or the review is being carried out
by the analyst who has been allocated for testing and identifying the usability problems in the
potential market (Nielsen, 2000).
Heuristic evaluation method reduces the amount of time and the effort that is required to
search and minimise a particular user fault in the online products and the online services. On
a particular site the way in which this evaluation technique can be used are in the following
way:

Figure 1: Evaluation Technique
Task 2:
Appropriate task analysis technique. Identify and select appropriate user task goals for the
evaluation. It includes task analysis should consider, task frequency, task sequence and task
criticality.
The motto of Human factors start up company is to become one of the best companies in
terms of user experience design. The company is going o focus on building a strong user
experience practices. This is made possible with the help of a mature development of
effective user experience practices. These practices include training and certification
methods. The standards and applications of tools are takes into serious considerations. These
are evolved with the focus mainly with the customer experience and their feedback for further
improvement. They are absolutely customer centric.
In order to develop the best form of the user experiences devices there are many important
key factors that are important (Davis and Jiang, 2015).
Some of the basic key points are the customer-cantered business strategy. In these cases the
business strategy are developed based on the customer experiences usability benchmark. New
products are innovated and that is based on the customer demand and their core issues.

The user experience is enhanced with the help of user interface structures and persuasion
strategies. The user experience plays a crucial role in the detailed form of design and visual
communication.
The start up company for enhancement of user experiences is concerned with the creation of
standard UX operation. It is mainly focused o the strategy and realistic planning for effective
experience feedback. The training motives include providing optimal UX in the form of range
f public and on-site training. It consists of user-centred design.
Task 3
To identify the key characteristics of the intended users of the chosen device like smart
phones.
This analysis will form the basis for the appropriateness of the device for the intended user
group against their typical characteristics. In order to perform user profiling to understand the
key characteristics of intended users, it is required to know their potential users those who are
going to use the device and their typical characteristics. Databases are created with the
intention of providing support to the intended users. They are meant to provide help to their
users when the users are searching for any information and knowledge within a particular
area.
Since the databases are meant to be developed in order to solve the issues of users problem
and knowledge based queries. Hence the users must equally take part in the analyzation
process to improve the user experience design process. The users must take part in the design
of databases that are meant to produce the best results in terms of user experiences. In this
case the traditional database design process is used. The design of software interactive tools
and devices like smart phones need extensive step y step process in their design approach
(Callahan and Koenemann, 2000). They include the sequence of addressing the goal along with
the need and expectations of large group of users having different views and opinions in their
mind. The sequence of steps is described in the following:

Visual design
Requirements
Modelling
Data Collection
Development Support
Figure 2: design of software interactive tools
Task 4
To enable the usability specification in order to evaluate the device against the specification

Figure 3: Usability life cycle
Evaluation Usability
There are various methods of evaluation techniques. It depends on the evaluation usability
depending upon the availability of the resources. The evaluation tasks include the number of
factors in the form of experience, database, evaluator, preference and ability. Then there is
sequential stage of development process including various used tools under review. The
various evaluation methods can be categorised in the following:
 User-based
 Expert-based
 Model-based
In case of user based, it is preceded with the sample of the users meant to use the application.
It is a type of user based development technique. This type of evaluation method tales place
with the testing of application where sample of the user performance can help to develop the
set of tasks which is pre determined in order to yield a reliable and valid estimation. In case
of exert based evaluation method the usability can be enhanced with the help of exerts in the

particular field to make assessment in the app making procedure. The model based technique
is associated with the adoption of HCI expert to employ the formal methods of predicting
criteria in the performance of users.
Task 5
An evaluation of the Smartphone device using with an appropriate evaluation technique(s) in
order to capture your results
In Heuristic Evaluation usability experts initially review the performance of the site before
taking steps in the planning procedure. After that these are being compared with the accepted
usability principles. The analysis and the result comprise of potential usability issues. Along
with the high merits of Heuristic evaluation method, there are however many demerits, as
discussed below. Since a Heuristic evaluation should not replace usability testing (Nielsen,
2000).
Merits
His evaluation method can provide a fast and relative feedback to the designers in an
inexpensive manner. Early during the design process initialisation the feedback can be carried
out to take the necessary steps. By assigning the correct approach of Heuristic evaluation, it
can help to give suggestion in the best and correct way to measure the designers. This
evaluation technique can get along with the other standard usability testing approaches.
Demerit
To apply Heuristics in an effective manner, it requires appropriate knowledge and experience
to use in the app properly. It is hard to find the trained and skilled usability experts and if they
are found they are too expensive to approach. This method is too expensive to afford since
any time they are required in bulk to manage the entire process in a common platform by
aggregating their results. A group of minor issue can be determined through this approaches,
however the major issue are left behind the scene.
Conduction of User Observations to design Forms

Figure 4: Relation between Knowledge, observation and reality
To understand the usability of a product in a better and efficient manner, observing the user
interacting with products is a great way to enrich the overall user experience. To conduct
observations on the user interacting product is not a very difficult task. It can proceed with a
very less amount of skill and training and it can be fat and effective too. But of course it
depends on the size of the sample of the users those who are intended to be in observation.
Preparation of User Observation
 Development of Checklist
 Qualitative Vs quantitative data need
 Research participants approval
 Desired Sample size
There are enormous advantages of this type of method. It is easy to reproduce and easy to
analyse. It takes less effort in the entire method and quiet fast in approach. This is a quick and
to understand. It is a timeless in consumption process. It is easy and quick at the same time.

Task 6
Evaluation you are then required to begin the process of analysing your results and then
preparing them for dissemination to a wide audience of people who may be interested in your
findings.
System development process is now growing at an alarming rate. The more the demand of the
system development, then there is the need of the human machine user interface. The user
interface has become an important part of the entire system evaluation. All type so deigns and
the development procedures are not possible without the consideration of user experience and
user requirement. Hence there are various evaluation techniques that have evolved from the
traditional user system that can be utilised in the enhancement of the user’s experience for
better efficiency and satisfaction.
Design Process
Evaluation technique in the database design process has its own important role. The initial
process is started with the help of requirement analysis and that is followed by conceptual
modelling approach. Conceptual modelling is the basics in the modelling approach
considering the basic concepts of approach. The conceptual modelling is followed by the
logical approach of modelling. The outer world is where the physical modelling taking place.
The various Heuristic methods include: Visibility in status of system, system Vs real world
Freedom and user control and freedom, standard of consistency, prevention to error,
flexibility of Use, efficiency of Use, recognise and diagnose the error, removal of Error,
documentation
Conclusion
The core component of user focused system approach is the Usability evaluation. Usability
evaluation is the key component of the usability method. It is the key component of the user
centred designs of system process. It is the essential competency of professional human
factors in the domain of software. The various test methods that can be adopted are vary
from laboratory approach of user performance to the model based predictions on the interface
prediction examination. In the development cycle the choice of right evaluation approach is
an important factor. From the expert domain model it is often difficult to predict the