Task 6 - Heuristic Evaluation Of A Website

INTRODUCTION
This task required carrying out a heuristic evaluation of a website by Jakob Nielsen. There has website that has been selected was Adidas. This website is a great brand that sells variety of products of sports for customer to enjoy it. The type of products that sells in this website is shirt, pants, bag, cap and many more. However, this brand also has become the focus to the public but not only in Malaysia but also in the other countries.

Web Evaluation

Visibility On System Status

The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback with reasonable time. It means that when a user interacts with your site, they need some sort of visual cue indicating that the system is working or that what they’ve done is either correct or incorrect. There’s nothing more frustrating than clicking on a button and not getting some sort of immediate feedback or response that something is, in fact, happening. For example, to register in Adidas we have to complete the form in order to submit it. After user have complete the form it will came out a message tell user have success to register the form.

Match Between System And The Real World
A website about medical information is not going to benefit from big flash graphics and jargon.  The elements and terms used within Web site should match those used in the real world as closely as possible. Adidas website is used the language that is many user can understand. It is not used simple message language like Ori, run, and others.

User Control And Freedom
Undo and redo operations will let users recover from their mistakes and will encourage them to explore the website without the fear of doing any damage. It is also  talking about the navigation and items to help a user to find his / her way through the site, to find a page or product, or to find the way back if they accidentally clicked on the wrong button or link. In the website Adidas, there is example of user control and freedom such as when user wants to go back at the menu before they open the current page they will click the back button at the top.

Consistency And Standard
User control, icons, terminology and error messaging should be consistent throughout the interface. The local navigation bar is usually displayed on the left of a page. Users may find it inconvenient and annoying, if the bar is moved to the right side and most of the users know that blue underlined text represents a hyperlink. For example, the link Shoes have the same link as Sport in website for Adidas. The solution for this problem is developer can put the all the Sports link into Shoes link so it doesn't have many link to the same page. 

Error Prevention
Preventing error from a website can help users recover from an error by giving a detail description of what the error is, why it occurred, and possible solutions for recovering from the error. How often did you fill out a form or sign in, wondering why it would not let you continue with your log in just because your fill out an invalid email address. Therefore it is important that your website has clear labels and shows which items need to be selected or filled out so that these errors don’t happen in the first place.

Recognition Rather Than Recall
Make objects, actions, and options easily recognizable and understandable. The icon in the Adidas website is not much but it is used icon image for shoes, shirt and other accessories. It’s also has button list for user to know what they looking for more specific. It is important to understand the task of the user at hand, and to ensure that all relevant information is on the same screen / same page, so that a user does not have to click between pages or windows to find out what they wanted, potentially giving up in frustration and going to the competition. 

Flexibility And Efficiency Of Use
Flexibility and efficiency of use mean when user open the website often they will find that the website has short cuts or quick link. Adidas website has quick link on the left if user wants to finds item quickly. It also has quick links for contact number for every page if user wants to ask something about anything they don’t know.

Help User Recognize, Diagnose, And Recover From Errors
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors is about errors that cannot be prevented at times, for example non-validating forms. To register in Adidas we have to complete the form in order to submit it. If the form is not complete, it will tell what we have to complete it. It letting user know immediately that what they've entered and show them where the problem is.

Help And Documentation
Creating systems that are intuitive and help the users navigate through the task at hand without the need for additional help. This website already has advanced searches but it doesn’t have a help icon. It is hard for user if they don’t understand what they are doing. The solution is developer have to provide help icon at the form register.

CONCLUSION
Adidas website that has chosen has its own style in criteria. There has own characteristic of Adidas that use the elements that available to attract user to visit the website. The website has advantages that is more like ease of use, screen design, aesthetics, mapping, cognitive load and also knowledge space compatibility visibility of system status, match between system and the real world, user control and freedom and many more because their ways to combined all together the heuristic evaluation to make it more stylish and well manners. Furthermore, the designer are should take a note to include more elements of the media so that users do not feel bored easily when exploring the website.

Task 5 - Mock Up

This task, mock up is based on the task 3, Paper Prototype. This task required student in group of two to choose the best design prototype and build mock up by using any suitable material that can make the mock up look real. The prototype that have been chosen is remote for the fan.

Design Prototype

Mock up

This mock up remote fan is build using a plaster sin, lid container for screen, eraser and spring for click button. It is to present in front of the lecturer and explained about the functionality of the mock up. other students can ask question about the mock up whether they understand it. This mock up to see whether it is good prototype or not and any error based on other people thought.

Task 3 - Lab test 1(Paper Prototype)

This task is about to design three new products that have difficulties. The difficulties task is easy task, medium task and high task. Every difficulties should have 2 design. Then between the two task choose one that is better.

Easy Task

  

Multi Watch with MP3 Player

Based on first design and second design the differentiation between both designs is button provided. First design only has button with important function only unlike second design designer provided many types of button which every button has function. However, the first design include hole for earphones, but in second design just Bluetooth headphones so user will not has difficulty by wearing earphones. Just click on the Bluetooth headphones which song will hear through the headphones.

Medium Task

   

                                       Design A                                                  Design B

Remote Fan

Based on two types of prototype for interface design principles that have design it consist the differentiation between each other. For example, the first design and second design has similarity of the shape but the button that provided is different. The second design has screen to appear the information when user make option. However, the size of the remote is not suitable for the first design because it has fewer buttons. It should design with the small size of the remote. Compare with second design the size of the remote is suitable because it has much kind of button and it does not have space. Second design also include the screen for information to display but in first design no screen provided for user.

High Task

   

                                     Design A                                                 Design B

Time Attendance

The designer design this prototype is for staff or worker to detect the absent of the staff or worker. Based on the two prototypes that been designed, this prototype is better than other one. This first design is better because it has button to set the time. It have menu button to choose the menu you want to choose. It is also having the button ok. For esc button is for to back to the main screen. It is also having the speaker for the music. It will play when the time that we set for office hour is ends. The main screen will show the time, date and day. For second design, it does not have button but it has also used thumbprint to detect the attendance.

Task 4 - Key Assignment

INTRODUCTION
This assignment is requiring carrying out a usability evaluation of a mobile or devices. This survey is aim to know whether all the people know how to use the smartphone Samsung Galaxy Note 1. The device that has been chosen is Samsung Galaxy Note 1 and has been developing the questionnaire around Ipoh. The technique that has been used to test the usability evaluation is Questionnaire. This questionnaire is based on project assignment that given by the lecturer. For this project, at least 20 respondents must have been answering the questionnaire. The entire respondent is different in age. Through that we can survey if the more the age increase, how the understanding to use the smartphone of respondent will get. The response of the respondent will be anonymous. 

METHOD
The method has been used is quantitative. Quantitative methods emphasis on objective measurements and numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires or surveys. Quantitative research focuses on gathering numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people. The questionnaire is using usability in-itself. The questionnaire was sent to 20 respondents. Along the questionnaire, it has provided Samsung Galaxy Note 1 for those who don’t have a Samsung Galaxy Note 1.

CONCEPTUAL/FRAMEWORK
For Samsung Galaxy Note 1 the conceptual framework is a natural mapping. It does not have many buttons and it button being structured suitable with it design. On the other hand, this smartphone also has constraint. For example the button in the middle, everyone knows that the button is for on and Off Button. It also has other button like volume loudness. For this Samsung Galaxy Note it doesn’t need many buttons.

ANALYSIS
The questionnaire was sent out to roughly 20 recipients. It received 20 answers which have a very positive outcome and negative outcomes based on the aged, as the goal was to reach 20 answers. The data collected by this survey is from April 2013 and the questionnaire was developing to random people. Most of the respondent is know how to used the Samsung Galaxy Note 1. Some of them don't know because the aged. Most of respondent 30 years and above is unskilled using this smartphone. 

SCOPE
The questionnaire consists of two parts. The first part is demographic question. The question is about gender, age of respondent, what smart phone respondent used and how many months or years their smartphone have been used. Second part is focus on functionality of Samsung Galaxy Note 1 and the features. The functionality question is about how to open the phone. The features question that has been survey is about weight, screen size and memory card.

Task 1 - Usability Testing of a ATM

Introduction
Students from class BSC201B are require to develop and understanding about usability testing of something. For instance, to know the quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. Our group is developing usability testing of Cimb Bank Sdn. Bhd. Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) around Perak. Usability testing is a technique for ensuring that the intended users of a system can carry out the intended tasks efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily. It also can improve ease-of-use during the design process and known the error that occur. The task that our group has to do is to know the usability of ATM machine, and the task to know the usability testing is withdrawing money. The location of this usability testing of ATM machine is around Greentown, nearest with Kolej Poly-Tech Mara, Ipoh. Our group must find at least three respondents to test the usability. 

Findings

• Respondent 1

Based on observation, first respondents manage to perform the usability testing of ATM machine. The first respondent can perform faster than other respondent. However, the first respondent able to understand the button that provided in ATM Machine of CIMB Bank. She manage to complete the task of usability testing of ATM machine not more than a minute.

• Respondent 2

Respondent 2 is using CIMB bank to withdrawal money. It doesn't take much time to to withdrawal money. It is only take not more than a minute to finish it. The instruction of the machine is very easy so that make respondent 2 can perform the testing very fast without having misunderstanding the task.

• Respondent 3

Respondent 3 is using CIMB bank to to check the balance in his account. From our observation, the way respondent 3 using ATM machine is very fast without having any misunderstanding from the that had been given. The time respondent 3 perform usability testing is only 28 seconds.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, all the three respondents manage to perform the usability testing of ATM machine of CIMB Bank. This usability is being testing because to know how easy for user or respondents about the user interface that provided in ATM Machine. Based on respondents, the by doing the usability testing of ATM Machine of CIMB Bank it can improving any error or problem that encounter during doing the testing and design process.

Task 2 - Design Logo

This is the logo for company. This logo have been design using adobe Photoshop CS3. It is created based on the criteria of our personality itself. The meaning of this logo is Amira's is a the name of people or company itself. The meaning of the circle is being surrounded by people and for the star is for successful in every what are we do. this task has been given because to learn how to design a logo and what type of logo is good to remember always. The logo is to introduced the company or shop identity  itself. There are three types of logo which is in word, picture or combine word and picture. Logos can be iconic, symbolic, indexical, or even abstract. This logo is using both word and picture. However, i think customer will recognize easier if using logo with both word and picture.