Heuristic Evaluation

Using Nielsen's ten heuristic project evaluation techniques: http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html

We created our own set of heuristics to test the effectiveness of the system around the user.

Heuristics: After first prototype -

1. Visibility of system status

2. Match between system and the real world

3. Consistency and standards

4. Recognition rather than recall

5. Aesthetic and minimalist design

6. Help and documentation

Visibility of system status

Function	Issue	Severity	Recommendation
Making a call	Navigating through the numbers on the phone book is arduous.	Low	Hold down the button and time duration increases its scrolling rate.
Reading a text message	No capability	High	Create this functionality in software by, enabling voice retrieval of text message by using 1471 function of BT.
Miss call	Retrieval of miss call	Medium	User will be asked do you want to call back number? . Miss calls can be reviewed using the base unit showing the time and date of any calls made to and from the phone.

Language

Function	Issue	Severity	Recommendation
SMS	No understanding of acronym	Medium	Change to text message.
Phone textual responses	Short hand phone explanation of functions	Low	Leave as general understanding can be adopted over the readability of smaller text.
Multi Language usage	Not yet developed	Low	If design is required to be distributed to a wider market i.e. Europe install the language packages necessary.

Consistency and standards

Function	Issue	Severity	Recommendation
Networks	Home/Mobile differences	Medium	Try to create consistency by letting BT handle network transfer from Mobile to House phone etc, and allow the function to operate as normal creating a transparency.

Recognition rather than recall

Function	Issue	Severity	Recommendation
Volume	Not knowing to increase the volume with the scroll wheel	Medium	Write the function on the phone so its usability is clear.
Internal functions of phone (opening phone required to handle these)	Not knowing to open the phone to access or carry out these functions	Low	General understanding of phone is demonstrated by installer and will be adopted with usage.

Aesthetic and minimalist design

Function	Issue	Severity	Recommendation
Colour of phone	Visibility	Low	Allow a range of medium visibility colours. (Not to brash).
Opening the phone	Grip	Medium	Add rubber-grooved strips.
Opening the phone	Ease of opening	Mediim	Spring installed to allow the last action of its opening to become assisted.

Help and documentation

Function	Issue	Severity	Recommendation
User manual	Length and degree of complexity	Medium	Ensure that there is a user guide (simple functionality for everyday usage) and a user manual (more in-depth functions explained and error awareness and limitations).