Evaluation of Usability Principles

Question: Discuss about the Evaluation of Usability Principles. Answer: Introduction The usability of a website, software or application can be developed and improved with the changes in the formation of the advancement in technology. The heuristic evaluation is the study of the user interface of the developed application or software for identification of any specific problem with the User Interface design (Genes et al., 2016). The following essay has been made for evaluating the usability principles by comparing Shneidermans principles and Selways ten principles of simplicity. Usability Principles Comparison and Evaluation The comparison of the usability principles could be done by evaluating the two usability principles of Shneidermans principles and Selways ten principles of simplicity. The two principles of usability are being used for evaluating the websites/software and forming an analysis of the interface functions of the software/websites (van Engen-Verheul et al., 2016). The Shneidermans principles consists of eight main points for the evaluation of the websites and software and it includes strive for consistency, enable frequent users to use shortcuts, offer informative feedback, design dialog to yield closure, offer simple error handling, permit easy reversal of actions, support internal locus of control, and reduce short-term memory load (Shneiderman Plaisant, 2015). On the other hand, Selways principles consist of 10 major points for evaluation of the software and websites (Zahabi, Kaber Swangnetr, 2015). The ten points include meet expectations, don't overwhelm people, only present a few choices at a time, no jargon or compu-speak, consider the abilities of different users, visual clarity, understand the problem, it's been tested, account for context, and it's not just usable. The number of evaluation criteria for the two usability principles mentioned is different. However, each of them provides an in-depth analysis of the websites, software, or application in terms of their User Interface Design. The Shneidermans principles has been focusing on the technical aspects for the evaluation such as consistency of operations, shortcuts facility for the users, informative feedbacks for the users, simple error handling facility, ease of reversing the actions, supporting the control, and reduction of memory load of the website, application or software (Benitti Sommariva, 2015). All these prime elements of the usability principles are used for evaluating any software or application. The extent to which the websites or softwares user interface design provides the ease of op eration for the users is being evaluated by the use of such usability principles. It would provide the ease of developing the smarter and efficient way for forming evaluation of the website or software in the organization (Huang et al., 2014). On the contrary, the Selways principles had been more of a customer eccentric evaluation of the UX (User Interface) and in provides an insight on the how well the website or software had met users requirement, whether it overwhelm them, presence of simultaneous options, clarity of visualization for the users, testing the product, and understanding of the problems (Page, 2014). The experience of the users for using the User Interface is evaluated for the software, application, or website developed. The evaluation of the website of the National Museum Australia had been done on the basis of usability principles of Selweys ten principles of simplicity. The analysis would provide the ease of determining the features of effective and smart website of the museum (Huang et al., 2014). The scenario for which the usability principles of the website would be developed includes the attempt for booking tickets for an event without completing the payment options. The website had been accessed for booking an event without completing the payment option for the ticket. The venue hiring at National Museum Australia had been helpful for deploying the hall for any event. The venue hire would packages include package costing for the hall venue from 6.30pm (Venue hire | National Museum of Australia, 2017). The Selweys ten principles of simplicity can be accessed for evaluating the scenario of the website access. The first element of the usability principle is meeting experience that had not been m et for the scenario. The user had tried for accessing the website and booking a ticket for the venue booking without going through the payment system at the organization (Benitti Sommariva, 2015). The second point is for ensuring that the process had not overwhelmed the user for the scenario. The third point is presence of few choices that can be depicted while trying to pass through the payment option without completing the processes involved in it and for the scenario the website had provided with the option of going back to the payment option for completing the process of booking. The fourth point is for making the label of the option selection more interesting and human like that has been seen on the website as a line is added for explaining the options on the website. The various options of the venue had formed for ability of different users (Shneiderman Plaisant, 2015). The visual clarity of website was very good as it consisted of many images for the venue available at the website. The understanding of the problem had deployed the benefit of easier operations in the website. The website had been seen and reviewed by many organizations and it had resulted in testing the operations of the website for various functionalities. The last point of the usability functions is account for the context and the website is the most suitable operation for the review of the contextual operations. The overall website renews with the increment of the possibilities for the customers (Page, 2014). The occasional and seasonal variation in the state results in improving the functions of the website and modifying them as per the new theme. Conclusion The assignment had covered the evaluation of the usability principles in context of heuristic evaluation of the software and website. The comparison had been done for forming an analysis of the usability functions of Shneidermans principles and Selways ten principles of simplicity. The analysis had shown that the Shneidermans principles is the evaluation of the website or software from technical point of view whereas the Selways ten principles of simplicity evaluates the user perspective from the website or software. References Benitti, F. B. V., Sommariva, L. (2015). 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