Executive Summary - Human Factors Heuristic Evaluation 04/18/2014

Findings & Recommendations (1 of 3) Overview Recommendations based on findings from the heuristic evaluation to help improve the website. Recommendations fit into three categories: 2 System Feedback & Errors: Supportive system feedback and minimizing error risk Frequency of Use – Features/Functions: Emphasis and placement of frequently used features Information Management & Display: Legibility, user language and terminology, content organization, layout, and design, workflow support, situational awareness

Findings & Recommendations (2 of 3) High Priority Recommendations Make important, frequently used features visible so the user can easily find them. Place the most important features in prominent, consistent locations. Example >>Example >> Make sure users can get the information they need, when they need it. Example >>Example >> Use language and terminology users will understand and ensure it is applied throughout the UI in a consistent manner. Example >>Example >> Match the user’s mental model. Example >>Example >> Avoid unnecessary clutter in the interface. Example >>Example >> 3

Findings & Recommendations (3 of 3) High Priority Recommendations (cont.) Present similar actions/information consistently. Example >>Example >> Allow the user to accomplish a task in the order he chooses. Example >> Example >> Help prevent errors by flagging errors before the user can proceed and by designing such that it’s harder for users to make errors. Example >> Example >> Help the user recover from errors by making correction easy and providing informative error messages. Example >>Example >> 4

5 Frequency of Use – Features/Functions – Prominence and Consistency On most pages, a cart with items in it shows up here. However, it doesn’t show on some pages, like the Home page. This example shows it added to the Home page as it should be. Search is also added here in its proper place for consistency and better visibility. A bit more re-design would be required, e.g. moving the featured item left so it doesn’t look associated with Search, or adding more content in the right pane to go along with Search, as on other pages. Example << Back

6 Example << Back Information Management and Display – Required information Available $15.00 $19.00 When displaying lists of items, no prices are displayed. This might make users less inclined to buy and also makes it impossible to compare prices without remembering or writing things down. Examples of how price might be added are shown here. Many items are offered in different formats (e.g. eBook, Paper Book or both). It would be enough to standardize on showing the price for the most common format (e.g. eBook) in lists, and showing all the prices when viewing details. However, a design that showed all prices in lists could also be considered. $24.00 $25.00 $20.00 $24.00

7 Example << Back Information Management and Display – Consistent Language Videos are called both “Videos” and “Screencasts.” Do not use the term “Screencast,” use “Video” consistently instead.

8 Example << Back Information Management and Display – Mental Model When adding one selection (a combo) at a specific price to the cart, it appears as two items with two separate prices. On a reasonably-sized window, the “combo discount” and discounted total, below, is not visible. A cart like this would better match the user’s mental model of what he did.

9 Example << Back Information Management and Display – Reduce Clutter Showing out of print items clutters the interface and takes space away from more useful information. Instead, don’t show out of print items by default, but give users the ability to view them if desired.

10 Example << Back Information Management and Display – Consistent Action Display All items to buy are listed in the navigation menu except online training, which is only listed below the fold on the home page. Put “Online Training” in the main nav menu. Could leave the training content below, or could free up space on the home page for other things.

11 Example << Back Information Management and Display – Support Multiple Paths If the user is not logged in, the “Wishlist” option is not displayed when viewing items. This prevents this user from using this helpful (to both the user and the store) feature. The user should always be given the “Wishlist” option so that he can be made aware of it even if he has not yet registered or logged in. If the user clicks “Wishlist,” the site should then give him the opportunity to register or login.

12 Example << Back System Feedback and Errors – Flag Errors Early It’s good that a specific error is given, but the user is allowed to enter and re-enter his password, check the various notification boxes, agree to terms, fill in the bot protector and click “Continue,” before he is notified. That causes frustration. Instead, flag the error once the field loses focus. It would be OK to keep the existing error treatment, but it goes away after a few seconds. Better to use something persistent (and consistent with other error flagging). This shows one possible example. Please include a in the address.

13 Example << Back System Feedback and Errors – Simple Error Correction In order to fix the typo in “Anytwon,” the user has to click on the “Change” link for “Recipient Details,” make the change, click “Continue” and then re-confirm his shipping option and click “Continue.” Also, the use of “Continue” is confusing as it implies going to a new page. It’s easier for the user to just fix his typo directly by presenting all input together. If the information is displayed on a final summary page, it should be read-only with one “Change” link to then display this page, allowing any change. Also note the explicit labels and “(optional)” tags added to this example.