MMIS 680 - Heuristics Evaluation Case Study of NSU Website Usability

This case study presents a heuristics evaluation of Nova Southeastern University's website, conducted as part of the MMIS 680 Human-Computer Interaction course. The evaluation assesses the website's compliance with established usability principles, including visibility of system status, match between system and the real world, user control and freedom, consistency and standards, error prevention, recognition rather than recall, flexibility and efficiency of use, aesthetic and minimalist design, and help for users in recognizing, diagnosing, and recovering from errors. The analysis identifies strengths such as the website's ease of navigation, clear information architecture, and user-friendly language, while also highlighting areas for improvement, including error prevention, image sizing, and design consistency across all pages. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of ongoing evaluation and refinement to enhance the overall user experience and ensure the website effectively serves the needs of its diverse audience.

Heuristics Evaluation of Nova South Eastern University
By [Please Insert] Date [Please Insert]
1. Visibility of system status
Evaluation
The Website of Nova South Eastern University lacks the feature of visibility of the
system status. The user has to navigate through the different options present in the
home page in order to gather any new information that is published in the website.
This considerably reduces the social interest level of the website. The website
however, provides a rich visual interface with proper headings and subheadings that
makes the navigation through the website much easier. Details of all schools and
colleges that are under Nova University are present on this website. It has sorted
tabs about the different processes and operations of the University that can be easily
navigated. This considerably helps the website in routing about 17.5% of the internet
traffic. The website however, has not experienced any major changes in the design in
the recent time.
Yes, the website provides an appropriate feedback within a reasonable amount of
time. When a user clicks on a particular option from the homepage, the website
routes the user to the different sub options, which is a satisfying for the users to
navigate through the website. However, the website is seen using different file
extensions that appear at the end of the web addresses. This can be avoided
wherever possible.
2. Match between system and the real world
Evaluation
The website is easy to surf, as the complexity level of the website is relatively low. It
does not use much technical or ambiguous terms that could be difficult for the users
to understand. It is a responsive website that encourages the users in sharing their
content with the social media. This makes the social interest of the website high.
Therefore, it can be certainly said that the website incorporates concepts, phrases
and languages that are familiar with the user than the system oriented terms. This
further makes the website simple and user friendly in its operation. User finds very
easy to handle the website as it can very user-friendly and give access to all the
details of the university. There is a library, which provides the students of NSU with
all the study materials that they need for the studies.
Yes, the website is competent enough in making the information appear in a logical
order that makes the navigation through the website follow a particular order. The
links between the previous and the next page are correctly ordered, which makes it
easier for the users in search for a particular matter. The website is suitable for
optimizing the view according to the devices, the users is suing to access the web
site. However, some of the images in the website do not have a defined sized that
sometimes make the interface visualization quite messy. Many of the images are
being stretched in the browser when accessed from a laptop. If that can be ignored,
the website definitely allows a logical and natural presentation if the contents in the
website.
3. User control and freedom
Evaluation
The website definitely provides freedom to the users in terms of controlling and
navigating through the website. If a user chooses a function by mistake, the website
provides a clearly defined path to return back to the home page or to the page where

the user was last navigating. It provides a clearly market back option in order to
leave an unwanted state without going through an extended dialogue. The undo and
redo option provided by the website holds true for the website as well. In case a user
chooses a system by mistake, he or she can simple come out of that tab or the page
by clicking the back option of the web browser. The undo and redo feature present in
the website makes it navigation through the website much easier. The back option
routes the users to the last page he was surfing and therefore the website is much
easier to operate. This is an example of an improved usability option that many
website lacks. The presence of undo redo option in this website considerably reduces
the user’s memory load making the different options, objects and the options visible.
Therefore, in case a user by mistake reaches a wrong page, he or she can easily
retaliate back to the home page by following the same path backward.
However, there should be an option where the admin can get a chance to edit the
website as soon as there is a change in the admission process and the names of the
colleges under Nova.
4. Consistency and standards
Evaluation
The website is consistent enough in properly guiding its users through the different
columns of the website. The rich headings and page titles make it easier for the users
to assume the content of the website. This makes the website more accessible to the
users and provides satisfying experience as well. The website definitely follows the
platform conventions. The regular update sin the website helps the users to remain
up to date with the latest information about the university and the announcements
related to the courses offered in the website. The website is competent with the
consistency and standards of a regular website and is considerably easier to
interpret. All the pages of the website have a description Meta tag, which is
important for the website to show up in Google search.
All the pages of the website have defined titles that eliminate ambiguity in words or
situations in the website. The page title rightly appears in the search result at the top
of the browser’s window that can be viewed while visiting the website. The
appropriateness in the page title helps in optimization of the search engine. However,
few pages have no definite headings that make it difficult for the users to know about
that particular page. This is however important for summarizing the content of a
particular web page in order to eliminate the chances of ambiguity in words and
phrases used in the website.
5. Error prevention
Evaluation
No, the website does not prevent any error occurring in the first place. Error message
is however shown in some pages that follow an incorrect link. The website is not that
sophistically designed that would prevent the error from being occurred. The website
is not competent enough to detect an error and eliminate it from occurring. However,
in case any errors, it provides a proper undo option that allows the users in rectifying
the error that has occurred. Furthermore, the websites handles the missing pages
quite correctly by sending a 404 HTTP status code.
The website is regularly updated, however, it would need a complete up gradation in
its code in order to incorporate the option of error prevention, by stopping it happen
in the first place.
6. Recognition rather than recall
Evaluation
Yes, the rich graphics of the website makes the objects, actions and the options very
well visible. The appropriate use of defined headings in all the web pages

considerably helps the search engines in summarizing the content of the web pages
quickly. Correct usage of headings not only makes it easier for the users to know
about the content of the web pages but also increases the accessibility of then web
pages. Users do not have to remember the information from one dialogue to the
another and every pages of the website is clearly defined and summarized with the
help of appropriate headings. This considerably makes the website appropriate in
visitors perspective. Furthermore, the website provides proper instructions about
navigation to the pages that are easily retrieval where appropriate. This considerably
reduces the load in the user’s memory by making the objects and the navigation
visible for the users. The user therefore does not have to remember one part of the
dialogue to the another as the information are properly visible in the website that
guides the users in proper navigation of the website. When users are needed to make
a selection, the website properly assists them in making a choice. This is done with
the help of the visual previews in the website and expandable details that are
present in every web pages of this website.
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
Evaluation
The website is flexible enough to speed up the interaction between an user and the
system. The use of cookies in the website considerably allows the users in tailoring
their frequent actions. The rich graphics and the presence of proper headings and
subheadings properly guide the users in reaching their destination. The presence of
subheadings in the menu tab allows the users to navigate to the particular web page
that the user is intending to reach. The website offers proper hyperlinks that routes
the user to a particular web page. The basic search form and the advanced search
form present in the website allows the users to reach or access a particular content
without browsing through the entire website. The site map present in the website
helps the users to easily locate the university and know about the courses offered in
the website. The content of the website are strategically placed in the entire website
that provides the flexibility and efficiency of use. The website is flexible to use for
both experienced and the inexperienced users due to its optimal navigation.
The hyperlinks embedded in the website are properly placed in the website.
Furthermore, the site map of the website is designed in a logical manner. The
website is efficient as the search results include description of the link in the page.
The headings and the subheadings contain many useful categories, content areas
and keywords possible. This makes the website even more efficient to use.
For example, there are tabs showing the reason to get admission in Nova
Southeastern University. There is a tab showing Graduate and Professional which
shows three options: master’s, doctors and professional. There is another tab
showing undergraduate which shows the academics, student life and the aid
regarding admissions and finance of the university. There is an alumni tab that gives
the services and benefits of NSU, shows the events that takes place in NSU and the
purpose they are serving to people. There is a visit campus tab which shows the main
campus of NOVA Southeastern University. There is an apply and request information
tab which gives the details of the undergraduate and the aspects of the graduate and
professionals students and way to apply for them.
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
Evaluation
The dialogues in the website does not offer more than it is required for a user to
perform a task. The advanced search feature present in the website much more user
friendly for a user. Furthermore, the website does not have any unnecessary

elements just to make the website look visually appealing. It consists of the right
amount of data that helps the users in navigating through the website. Absence of
unnecessary components in the website makes the website more aesthetic in use. A
great website design generally refers to the combination of minimalist and
aesthetically pleasing design and the website of Nova Southeastern University is an
example of aesthetically designed website. The content is sophistically arranged in
the different web pages of the website that gives it an organized appearance. The
hyperlinks are rightly placed throughout the website that makes the website even
more users friendly. The website does not incorporate any unwanted information or
redundant web pages that give the website much organized look. This proper
academic and business website is aesthetically designed.
For example, in the header section, there is seven drop down boxes that include
undergraduate, graduate & professionals, academics, student life, research,
community and about NSU. This guides the user in choosing a proper course for
them.
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Evaluation
Yes, the error codes in the website are explained in plain language that precisely
indicates the problem with the website. The error code is properly flashed on screen
and users are provided with certain suggestions in order to recover from the errors.
Proper error recognition and diagnose option is an important phenomenon of any
website. The web pages of this website are properly linked and therefore, there is
little scope of error being occurred in a normal condition. The error although precisely
indicated in the website, it may not be understandable for some users. However, the
suggestions from recovering from the problem are clearly defined in plain language.
The steps suggested can be followed in order to recover from the error. The website
of Nova South Eastern University therefore competent enough to help and guide the
user in recognizing, diagnosing and recovering from the errors of that a user might
experience while browsing through the website.
10. Help and documentation
Evaluation
The content in the website is easy to find with the help of the proper headings,
subheadings and the hyperlinks that are used for designing the website. The website
is further focused on the user’s tasks and is capable of assisting the users in their
most common tasks. The website is properly organized that makes sense to the users
and further helps the users in navigating through the correct content of the website.
The website definitely helps in providing the required information to the users that
might help them in navigating through the website. The website also allows the
download and print option of the useful documents that further helps in properly
navigating through the website. Therefore, it can be said that the website provides
and optimal service of help and documenting to guide the users in proper navigation
through the website.