Case Study
C
Roof : A product design case study on tackling spam in the home rental space.
Research
R
Human-Computer Interaction Research on Perception of Mobile Emergency Alert Sounds.
Costco Mobile App
A Heuristic Evaluation uncovered high priority usability problems in the native iOS mobile application
Research
R
Cognitive Engineering Study on Mining Truck Driver Tasks, Alertness and Cognitive Decision Making.
Heuristic Evaluation
H
Costco iOS Mobile App Heuristic Evaluation uncovered usability disasters in the mobile application.
Roof
Making it easy and efficient to search and sign home rentals based on the user's preferences without being scammed
Blog
B
Why I completely redesigned my portfolio website - Usability in Web Design.
Neuel Sam
1 Min Read, 15 July 2020
Problem Space
Costco Mobile App encompasses all Costco services available on the website. Customers can buy products and memberships, check nearby warehouses, and process returns. I conducted a heuristic evaluation in order to identify usability issues in the application.
Once Usability issues are identified, potential solutions are implemented and the prototype is re-evaluated against the same heuristics to ensure that the usability issue no longer exists.
Constraints
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Must follow existing Costco Application design.
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Fonts can be free open source ones instead of paid.
Deliverables
Redesigned Screens after Heuristic Evaluation: Download PDF
Design Handbook: Download PDF
User Task
Browse groceries to find Croutons and buy them.
Heuristic Evaluation
A method to find usability problems in a user interface design. We examine the interface and judge it’s compliance with recognized usability principles using a small set of evaluators.
Heuristic Evaluation Rating Method
0 Not a usability problem at all
1 Fix only if extra time is available
2 Low priority usability problem
3 High priority usability problem
4 Usability catastrophe
Help Users Recognize, Diagnose and Recover From Errors
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The error message should be written in plain language
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Messages should precisely indicate the problem
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Messages should constructively suggest a solution
User Control and Freedom
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Users often choose options by mistake
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Users need an exit strategy to leave the unwanted state
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There should be freedom to undo any accidental actions
Usability Heuristics Evaluated
Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
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Dialogue shouldn’t contain irrelevant information
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Extra information competes with relevant information
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Prioritize the content that supports the user’s goal
Consistency and Standards
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Users wondering the meaning of symbols/actions/words
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Follow platform conventions
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This helps in reducing learning curve and eliminates confusion
Visibility of System Status
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Communication and transparency
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Users should know what’s happening in the system
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Prioritize content that supports the user’s goal
Identified Usability Issues and Ratings
Help Users Recognize, Diagnose and Recover From Errors
Sign In Error
The cause of the error is not specified, so users are left guessing what went wrong
Recommendation
Specify what went wrong and highlight respective fields with red
Rating: 1 (Fix only if extra time is available)
User Control and Freedom
Back Button
This back button does not navigate through the system hierarchy, so users cannot retrace their steps.
Recommendation
The back button should respect information architecture.
Rating: 2 (Low priority usability problem)
Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
Cluttered Info
Too much irrelevant information is presented, diminishing visibility and making the task difficult to complete.
Recommendation
Take out information not relevant and provide a hierarchy of content information.
Rating: 3 (High priority usability problem)
Consistency and Standards
Is It Clickable?
A lack of consistency in terms of what is clickable and what is not, leaves the user confused and unsure.
Recommendation
Implement consistent button format to show active and inactive states
Rating: 2 (Low priority usability problem)
Visibility of System Status
Checkout feedback
No feedback after clicking Checkout than a slight color change, causing the user to wonder if the system is still responsive
Recommendation
Display what is happening in the back end to the user
Rating: 4 (Usability catastrophe)
Executive Summary
Overall Usability Rating
Users are able to do the main task but with confusion and frustration. Overall, the app was given a 2.5 on the usability scale.
Recommendations Implemented
Prototype Link: Click Here
Projects
Case Study
C
Roof : A product design case study on tackling spam in the home rental space.
Discover, define, develop and deliver
Hello, I am Neuel Sam. A systems design engineer crafting products based on human-centered design. Welcome to my portfolio.
Blog
B
Why I completely redesigned my portfolio website - Usability in Web Design.
Neuel Sam
1 Min Read, 15 July 2020
Research
R
Cognitive Engineering Study on Mining Truck Driver Tasks, Alertness and Cognitive Decision Making.
Research
R
Human-Computer Interaction Research on Perception of Mobile Emergency Alert Sounds.
Other Projects
Blog
B
Why I completely redesigned my portfolio website - Usability in Web Design.
Neuel Sam
1 Min Read, 15 July 2020