Heuristic Evaluation - Summary
Visibility of system status: The first version of the application has a low contrast between the
background and the color of text. This happens especially with yellow color of already pressed
buttons. Also the title of each screen should tell the user what is this screen about, and give
feedback about which step of the process is been carried out in the moment. Features to modify:
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Size of button’s text.
Increase the size of the buttons
Background color
Design of the title and upper bar to make it intuitive
Severity rating: 4
Match between system and the real world: The usage of the system could be accompanied with
introductory phrases that let the user know what the function of the button is. This kind of
introduction could be made in terms of buslines or schedules. Also a change of design that lets the
user knows that two buttons in the same horizontal level are the two possible directions of a bus.
Severity rating: 3
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The hop on and hop off layout could be changed to transmit in a graphical way
Severity rating: 2
User control and freedom: It is possible that the user chooses a no desired option. In this case the
back button should be always available.
Back button should also be included in the last step of the process (hop on button)and it should be
bigger (maybe the measure oft he screen)
Severity rating: 3
In the screen that shows the results, the name of the station should be displayed in a textbox that
could be changed in case the user has committed a mistake when the station was selected or tipped.
Severity rating: 1
Consistency and standards: The design patterns of button sizes, titles, colors, and icons should be
implemented across the whole application. This can reduce the effort of the user every time he faces
a new screen. Some of the recommendations are:
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Buttons should have the same size
The screens should follow a table format in a more accurate way
A status bar can display which step is been executed and how many steps are left
Severity rating: 3
Error prevention: The error preventing methods can be made through specifying more about the
function of each button and what to expect from it.
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More specifications should be included in the design - Severity rating: 4
Also some of the functions should be prepare to react in case that the user has accidentally made an
error.
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No error appears if no station has been selected an the next button is pressed.
No error appears if the next button is pressed even if no busline has been selected.
The hop on button can be skipped by the user? How about a no collaborative user?
Severity rating: 2
Recognition rather than recall: Minimize the user's memory load by making objects, actions, and
options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to
another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever
appropriate.
In a visible way, the title of the screenshot should be paced at the top of the window. Information
like which stations were choose or which of the lines was choose is being included in the next screen
so the user know exactly what is it about and does not need to memorize such an information.
Severity rating: 2
Flexibility and efficiency of use: Tools like automation and acceleration of the application can be for
instance the introduction of auto-completion when the name of a station is written could reduce the
effort of users that type a complex station name.
Severity rating: 2
Aesthetic and minimalist design: Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or
rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of
information and diminishes their relative visibility.
The design of the application should change the mistakes in some letters, increase the color contrast
and express in a clear and direct way the purpose of the two main global processes (select a station
or compare time of two stations), as well as be clear in every screenshot about the purpose of it.
Severity rating: 4
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors: Error messages should be expressed in
plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
Preventing errors to remember to make actions like to press the hop on button are of use for the
recognition of errors. Remembering the user to select a station if he/she has pressed next without
selecting needs to be implemented
Severity rating: 4
Help and documentation: Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation,
it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to
search, focused on the user's task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
An introduction document that describes the objective of the application and the steps to follow
should be included once the application has been finished.
Severity rating: 2