Today’s article will focus on a specific Heuristic framework, the ”Connell Full Principles Set“.
As a UX designer, it’s common to utilize Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design as the approach for heuristic evaluation. However, fitting all the usability issues discovered during an assessment into Nielsen’s heuristic framework felt often limited and constrained that several UX professionals would come across user experience problems that were worth discussing but didn’t fit into the predefined mold.
Choosing the right heuristic evaluation approach is critical to uncovering usability issues and improving the user experience. While Nielsen’s heuristics are comprehensive and widely used, they may not always be the best fit for a particular project or situation.
This article will explore and provide you with one alternative heuristic approach that could help you choose the appropriate method.
We will discuss the following topics:
Who is Dr. Iain Connell?
Dr. Iain Connell is well-known for his contribution to the field of human-computer interaction (HCI literature).
After completing a DPhil in Psychology at York University, Dr. Connell joined the Interaction Design Centre (IDC) at Middlesex University. He worked alongside fellow researchers, Ann Blandford and Thomas Green on a research project called CASSM, which stands for Concept-based Analysis of Surface and Structural Misfits.
CASSM is an innovative research method for usability evaluation that utilizes entity analysis instead of detailed heuristics task analysis. Its focus is on identifying potential misalignments between the designer and user views of an interactive system by examining the entities and actions the user interface system displays.
Cornell’s set of heuristics research in universal designs was established by a group of architects, product designers, engineers, and environmental design researchers at the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University. These heuristics aim to provide guidance in the design of environments, communications, and products.
What is HCI and how does it work in user experience?
HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) is a field that focuses on designing computer systems and other technological interactive system interfaces that are intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly. The goal of HCI is to ensure that assistive technology works for people, rather than the other way around.
To make HCI work for people, designers, and developers must consider a range of factors related to human behavior, cognition, and perception. They must take into account the needs and preferences of different user groups, as well as the cultural and social context in which technology is used.
Some of the key heuristics that can help make HCI work for people include:
User-Centered Interface Design
This approach involves involving users in the universal design process from the beginning so that the resulting technology meets their needs and preferences.
Usability
HCI must be designed to be easy to use and understand, even for people who are not technically proficient.
Accessibility
HCI must be accessible to all people, including those with disabilities or special needs.
Affordance
HCI should be designed to have clear visual cues and intuitive interactions so that users can easily understand how to use it.
Feedback
HCI should provide feedback to users about what is happening when they interact with it so that they can understand the consequences of their actions.
By focusing on these principles, designers, and developers can create technology that is not only effective and efficient but also user-friendly and enjoyable to use.
Let us now dive into Connell’s heuristic evaluations framework:
When designing a system, it’s important to ensure that the system’s intended functionality aligns with the requirements and expectations of its users. This is where the heuristics of Requirements and Functionality come into play.
Requirements and Functionality ensure that the system does what it is intended to do and that its intended users are well understood by the designers. These principles work hand-in-hand to guarantee that the system functions as expected and meets the needs of its users when a user makes an appropriate action.
1. Functional needs
The set of functions offered by the system should align with the needs and requirements of its intended users. This means that the system should be designed to perform the functions that are most relevant and important to the users.
2. Requirement needs
Accurate determination of the characteristics and functional requirements of the intended users is crucial to the success of the user interface system. This includes identifying the user’s preferences, knowledge, and skills to ensure that the system is designed to cater to their specific needs.
3. Functional organization
The organization of the system’s functions should match with the expectations and knowledge of the intended users. This means that the system should be organized in a way that is intuitive and easy for users to navigate.
4. Functional provision
The system’s functions should provide the best means of performing the required operations. This includes ensuring that there is no redundancy or under-provision of functions, with only those functions that are required and no more. These principles are typically applied during the requirements analysis method to ensure that the system is designed to meet the needs of its intended users.
These principles focus on the interaction between the user and the system, specifically the sequences of choices and actions made by the users in response to the system, as well as the types and nature of messages, displays, and other outputs presented by the user interface system.
The range of usability problems involved includes the locational and navigational information provided to the user, the feedback given in response to user commands, how errors are defined and handled by the system, the range of choices available to the user during the interaction, and the terminology and language used in the user interface system’s text messages and displays.
5. Minimum Steps
Make it easy for users to move between system states and functional components with minimal usability steps. Avoid unnecessary repetition of step sequences and ensure there is a minimal number of steps between related usability components.
6. Minimum Retraction
Make it easy for users to move between system states and functional components without unnecessary retracing of steps already taken.
7. Memory Load
Avoid complex input formats whenever possible. If necessary, provide instructions on the required format and default values.
8. Error Management
How errors are defined and whether commonly used error classifications, such as Donald Norman or James Reason research, accurately capture the full spectrum of errors made, for example. Prevent erroneous user’s actions before they occur rather than identifying them afterward. User actions with serious consequences should be completely prevented, or a warning given before the final initiation.
Provide necessary information on the consequences of the error and any alternative actions. User actions with less serious or trivial consequences should be retractable, including a general “undo” usability function.
Complex inputs should be retractable and modifiable before initiation. Use affirmative and positive tones in usability error messages and warnings.
9. Feedback
Ensure the status of the system is visible to users at all times. Provide immediate confirmation of user-initiated processes and indicate that all user interface system processes are continuing.
For processes longer than 10 seconds, indicate the elapsed duration or completion time. Provide confirmation for all user inputs and appropriate feedback for continuous user’s input.
10. Locational Information
Ensure users know where they are in the user’s interface system and what steps they can take. Label every system state (screen, window, dialogue box) and indicate its relationship to other states.
Provide a range of user options at each state, including a return to the previous state. Avoid states from which there is no exit. Clearly distinguish different functional modes.
11. Locational Modes
Clearly distinguish different functional modes where states represent them (e.g., windows, screens). Indicate the currently active state if different states can be opened concurrently. Allow users to determine which states are currently open and switch between them.
12. Choice Availability
At each system state, provide appropriate user options. Maintain a balance between the number of steps required for particular operations and the number of options available at each step. Avoid overwhelming or impossible-to-encompass options at any step. Ensure each option is functionally distinct from the others.
13. Terminology and Language Style
Match terminology and language style with the intended users’ experience and background knowledge. Use a minimally sufficient size, format, and complexity for each piece of text to convey its meaning.
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