Cognitive Walkthrough Flashcards
What is expert-based evaluation?
Also known as “inspection methods” or “analytic methods”
What is heuristic evaluation?
Experts compare the system to a set of heuristics or guidelines
What is a cognitive walkthrough?
Expert conducts a critical walkthrough of the system, asking certain questions at each step
What does pluralistic walkthrough do?
Combines input from many stakeholders
What is the purpose of cognitive walkthrough?
It is used to identify gaps
-missing feedback, missing instructions, functions. icons
Why do we ask specific questions at every step of task?
-Identify where the interface blocks the user from completing the task
-Identify convoluted, circuitous paths through steps
-Identify gaps: missing feedback, missing instructions, functions, icons, etc
When do you do a cognitive walkthrough?
-Interface can be at various levels of maturity
-Using early prototype or specifications of a design and walk through the interface and act as if the interface was actually built
-Typically conducted before user-based studies
- to avoid wasting time and resources on problems that can be more easily found
What to ask in a cognitive walkthrough?
- Wil the user know what to do?
- Will the user see how to do it?
- Will the user understand from the feedback whether the action was correct or not?
What to do in step 1: Users of the cognitive walkthrough?
Identify the characteristics of typical users
- What is their motivation to do the task?
What to do in step 2: Write tasks?
-Use realistic tasks
-Identify both simple and complex tasks
- Balance complexity with range of functionality to be covered
-Choose tasks that cover multiple core functions to evaluate transitions between subtasks
What to do in step 3: sequence of actions?
Perform a task breakdown
- Describe the task from the point of view of the first-time user
- Understand each step of the user’s process
What to do in step 4: review questions?
Answers the main questions:
1. Wil the user know what to do?
2. Will the user see how to do it?
3. Will the user understand from the feedback whether the action was correct or not?
What to do in step 5: select evaluators?
- Plan - location, times for each evaluator to assess the system
- Prepare materials that will enable the evaluators to become familiar with the purpose of the system and of its users
- Design your note-taking strategy
What to do in step 6: Evaluate?
- Conduct the analysis by walking through the action sequence in each task and answering the questions
- Limit to 2 hours at a time
What to do in step 7: summarise results?
- Identify main problems
- Assumption about what causes the problems
- Estimate proportion of users who would experience problem
- come up with severity scale
- response to problems
- what changes could be made to address problems
