Windows XP Media Center Edition SDK Heuristic Evaluation
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Heuristic Evaluation
Heuristic evaluation is a quick method to evaluate any user interface by using a list of heuristics or guidelines. Ideally, two or three people will independently evaluate the UI using the heuristics so that the usability issues that each person finds can be compared. This evaluation technique can be used throughout the development process, from early screen shots to fully implemented code, but it is a good idea to run heuristic evaluations early in the development process so that the UI can be redesigned.
For example, look at the entire UI using the consistency heuristic, and record where this principle is violated. When you have a list of all the consistency issues for the UI, make recommendations on how to address the issues that were identified.
Jakob Nielsen (1994) has described a useful set of heuristics. For more information about this and other resources, see Additional Information.
Additional heuristics, created by Microsoft for enhanced TV, include the following.
| Heuristic | Description |
| Interference | The degree to which the interactive content obscures the content of the show itself. |
| Intrusiveness | The ability to interact with the interactive content while still being fully engaged in the show. |
| Applicability | The degree to which the interactive content is related to the content of the show. |
See Also
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