Expert Review

When is this method appropriate?

Expert reviews referring to usability relevant questions and they are a cost and time efficient instrument to gain know-how how to optimise interfaces from a neutral source.

Thereto we discuss and elaborate individual optimisation suggestions and approaches to solution which can be implemented by you, your agency or us. We provide an external look that means a third perception besides the developers and project employees.

Possible questions:

• Is your website conformable with current usability heuristics and can it efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily be operated by the users?
• From the usability’s point of view where are the problems, weak points and strengths which can have an influence on your web visitors as well as on your objective target of your (planned) website?
• Are the existing interaction processes on your website comprehensible and their elements intuitionally operated?
• What given solutions and interaction principles can be used to optimise your website?
• Can your web offer reach the intended objective target for instance in respect of shop-orders, customer loyalty, distribution, image cultivation?
• What usability arguments plead for or militate against a particular draft that is currently discussed by the product development team?
• What intensity of priority and effort could or should be used to solve the analysed usability weaknesses and problems?

And many more…

In what project phase applicable?

• Conception/Development
  Already during the early development, or rather, conception phase usability-problems can be identified by experts. Concerning this the first scribbles (hand-drawn drafts) or wireframes (schematic illustrations of a website) are necessary.
• Implementation/Programming
  Due to a limited time scheduling and an austerity budget an expert-based evaluation provides a profounded rating (incl. direct guidance) of an internet-offer conveys important indications what to remedy (quality control or release test) before (re-) launching your website.
• Live Activity/Usage
  During the activation of your website an expert-based evaluation offers the possibility of expert-based quality control (that means things have been implemented as it was planned). In addition, there is the possibility to identify weak points or problems to provides impulsion for a planned re-design-process, or rather, as a prototype for a comprehensive usability test in laboratory.

What is the procedure of this method?

For an expert review it is possible to use several methods that are combinable, too. Especially:

• Heuristic evaluation
  Usability experts survey the product in view of conformity with the current usability rules:
  • DIN EN ISO 9241 “Ergonomic of human-system interaction” (particular the articles 11 – 17, 110 and 151)
  • DIN EN ISO 13407 “Human-centred design processes for interactive systems”
  • Guideline for the VDU work (BildschArbV) and the European VDU guideline EWG 90/270
  • DATech test manual “Leitfaden-Usability”
  • Usability heuristics according to Nielsen & Molich
  • ...
• Cognitive walkthrough
  Several experts simulate typical user tasks in the predefined kind (scene). They evaluate whether the user will be able to recognise the necessary action steps. In addition, they test if the user will do the correct actions.

We have different individual check lists which consider the requirements of different platforms (websites, terminals, mobile applications) and different branches (tourism, general-interest-sites, etc.).

As a rule our evaluation is based on a combination of the both mentioned methods. User leading, operating, design and functionality as well as positioning are focussed. Comprehensibility and effect of the content (text, structure, graphics, etc.).

Three usability experts evaluate based on the latest findings of usability research and founded experience with user-based tests. At first they separately evaluate the internet offer. Thereby the experts simulate typical user situations on the website and survey every function and the central sites that is interesting for an analysis.

On the basis of our approved usability-checklists potentials of optimisations are identified, worked out and then concrete recommendations how to improve the application are provided.

Content of the checklists:

• the interface/screen design
• the design of the navigation/user leading
• the interaction design
• the information/site architecture (incl. wording)
• the content-usability/ text design

The findings are finally discussed and summarised (in internal workshop). The identified problems and weak points are classified into weak, medium-heavy and heavy problems.

A list of usability problems can be worked out that does not base on individual subjective opinions. The constitution of the expert team is based on specific branch knowledge of our employees.

The result of the evaluation is a verbal expert rating which is categorised concerning the usability-problems. In addition, our experts develop concrete and individual creation suggestions to remedy the identified usability-problems. Central suggestions are not only verbal described but additionally a visualisation of our recommendations in terms of wireframes/function layouts.

Strengths of this method:

• The rating is based on checklists but on long-term know-how and branch experience of usability-experts, too.
• The evaluation is a time and cost efficient possibility to rate a website.
• Providing the results and directly guidance ensue contemporary.
• No interactive or clickable prototype is preconditioned.
• The rating of the website is based on authorised usability and design guidelines.

What about the sample size?

Expert-based evaluations are implemented without test subjects and they base on the rating of three usability-experts with long-term experience in their branch.

How much time takes the implementation?

The effort for expert reviews orientates on the extent of the surveyed website. Short reviews of less complex websites or web applications can be provided within 3 to 5 days.

What input do you have to provide?

Optimally you come to our premises with concrete questions and/or site areas which we can carefully examine and thematise during the evaluation. We would like to work out with you this kind of questions in a workshop (on the spot or by conference call).

According to the phase where your website or draft should be evaluated we need either the URL or the online access to your website/your prototype or the first screens or wireframes in terms of common file format (JPEG, TIFF, PDF, PPT, HTML, …).

What do you receive from us?

You receive an interpretative result report with the following contents:

• Management summary
• Verbalised expert ratings relating to the identified problems which are categorised into the heaviness of usability-problems
• • Concrete and individual design recommendations to remedy the identified usability- and design problems – verbal described and visual-functionally implemented (for instance in terms of optimised wireframes or clickable prototypes).

Do you have any further questions? Please do not hesitate to contact us! We would like to consult you.