usability heuristics – desres25.designandcommunication.net

Design & Research 2 with Birgit Bachler

Sketching

After doing the context review and the material studies, I decided to work on my prototype again. I focused on our lecturer’s question “what is the smallest prototype you can create that still touches the issue?”. A specific issue came to my mind: according to A review of invasive species reporting apps for citizen science and opportunities for innovation by Howard, van Rees, Dahlquist, Luikart, and Hand, gamification is not sufficiently used in citizen science apps. With the intention of creating something quick, fun, and gamified, I looked at my initial analogue prototype and the app prototype I created with Ahmed Turk for our app design course. I decided I wanted to focus only on the reporting flow of the app and create a minigame. By focusing on its core feature, I wanted to make it as interesting and seamless as possible. This way, the reporting platform could benefit from a higher engagement.

I started my second version of the prototype by sketching a storyboard. Then, I highlighted some scenes that in my opinion are the foundation for the MVP. After that, I sketched some screens and created them on Figma.

Heuristic evaluation

I then went through Jacob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design to further refine the prototype. Here you can read my evaluation:

Visibility of system status. At the top of the screen, you can see the progress through the game (0/2); I do not know if it should start with 0/2 or with 1/2.
Match between System and the Real World. The constellation has the same shape and proportions as the one in the sky. The brightness of the stars also mirrors reality. As the app does not use GPS and the gyro sensor yet, the constellation is not rotated in the same direction as it appears in the sky. This could also be a challenge factor that makes the game a little harder. No technical jargon is used, only commonly used words.
User Control and Freedom. There is an emergency exit (X) to exit the game and a back arrow to return to the previous step
Consistency and Standards. The back arrow is located at the top left corner (iOS standard), while the X is at the top right. The latter should ideally also be positioned in the top left corner, but that space was already occupied. The main action is in the white button, while secondary actions are in all-caps. All clickable text is in all-caps.
Error Prevention. If the sky is not visible, there are various options that can be selected, which open tips for better observation. This prevents false reports. In the future, once sensors are incorporated, the app should recognise whether you are pointing your phone at the right constellation, to prevent mistakes.
Recognition Rather Than Recall. The name of the constellation is repeated on every screen of the reporting game.
Flexibility and Efficiency of Use. For expert users that already know constellations, there is an option to jump straight to the report and skip the constellation hunting part.
Aesthetic and Minimalist Design. I tried to keep everything minimal; the only thing that could be simplified is the bear illustration and maybe the copy, but in my defense it is intended to have a relatable tone that brings the audience a little closer to a complex topic.
Recognize, Diagnose and Recover from Errors. Error messages are written in a simple language and suggest a solution for a wide variety of issues.
Help and Documentation. If the constellation cannot be located, there is the option to receive a hint.

Here are some screens of the minigame. After hitting “play”, the user needs to find a certain constellation in the night sky. Then, they can report the visibility of its stars by tapping on them.