Includes the definition, value, usage and history of heuristics as well as 10 principles with starter questions for use in an evaluation. (As presented most recently at Interaction 12 in Dublin)

1. Does it have legs?
Information Architecture Heuristics for Interaction Designers!
!
presented by: !
Abby Covert
@Abby_The_IA

2. What do you want in a critique?!
<Type> Designers: want to spark Non Designers: want a !
new insights when reviewing their healthy and non opinion-driven
work alone or with others.! conversation with designers.!
! !
They are trying to avoid: ! They are trying to avoid: !
Blank stares, not knowing where ! Opinions being seen as rulings,
to start, taking coffee breaks to having a lack of direction on
avoid critiquing ! what feedback to give and when!

3. But when critiquing work:
What we really want to know is
“Does it have legs?” !
• Is it stable enough to support the weight of use?!
• Will it be effective in execution?!
• Will it stand on itʼs own?!
!
A good place to start when answering these questions is
Evaluating it against heuristic principles.!

4. “rules of thumb”!
“best practices”!
What is a heuristic?!
“intuitive judgments”! “common sense”!

5. Case Studies! Patterns &
Anti-Patterns!
What is NOT a heuristic?!
Stencils!
Templates!

6. We use heuristics to…!
• Evaluate the strength and quality of what is
currently offered to users!
• Facilitate critique during planning, design and
development!
• Predict the effectiveness of a potential solution!

7. Existing Sources for Heuristics

8. • Five sources • Easy to learn
• Over Fifty principles • Easy to Teach
• Lots of overlap • Easy to Implement
across contexts,
teams and Channels

10. Result: My Proposed 9 Principles from 50!
?
1 wildcard

11. REMINDERS– The rules of heuristic use!
1. Put on your user shoes: Forget where
you work and what your job is. !
2. Put on your user goggles: None of these
principles matter without understanding the
context of use and who your users are. !
3. Say “I am not my user”: Never use
heuristic review as a replacement for user
research.!
!

12. #1 Findable
Able to be
located.

13. #1 Is it Findable?
q Can users easily locate that which they
are seeking? !
q How is findability affected across
channels and devices?!
q Are there multiple ways available to
access things?!
q How do external and internal search
engines “see” what is provided?!
q Is information formatted with results in
mind? !
q What is provided to make the delivered
results more useful?

14. #2 Accessible
Easily
approached
and/or entered

15. #2 Is it Accessible?
q Can it be used via all expected Be aware that upwards
of 20% or more of the
channels and devices?! worldʼs population has
q How resilient and consistent is it a disability. !
!
when used via “other” channels? ! The internet is a public
q Does it meet the levels of place. Itʼs like building a
ramp to your building, or
accessibility compliance to be refusing to. !
considerate of those users with !
</soapbox>!
disabilities*!
!
!

16. #3 Clear
Easily
perceptible

17. #3 Is it Clear?
q Is it easy to understand?!
q Is the target demographicsʼ grade
and reading level being considered?!
q Is the path to task completion
obvious and free of distraction?!
q Would a user find it easy to describe?!
!
!

18. TOP 3 Clarity Offenses
• Corporate underpants: When you are obviously
making a navigational decision based on your
organizational structure, not user decision paths.!
• Inside Baseball: When you are calling something
a term that is unclear to anyone that doesnʼt work
for your company. !
!
• Weasel Words: When you are being purposefully
unclear in language to avoid making a promise or
decision about process or commitment to a user.!

19. #4 communicative
Talkative,
informing,
timely

20. #4 Is it communicative?
q Is the status, location and
permissions of the user obvious?!
q How is messaging used throughout?
Is messaging effective for the tasks
and contexts being supported?!
q Does the navigation and messaging
help establish a sense of place that
is consistent and orienting across
channels, contexts and tasks?!
!

21. #5 Useful
Capable of
producing the
desired or
intended result

22. #5 Is it Useful?
q Is it usable? Are users able to
complete the tasks that they set out
to without massive frustration or
abandon?!
q Does it serve new users as well as
loyal users in ways that satisfy their
needs uniquely?!
q Are there a few navigation options
that lead where users may want to
go next? Are they clearly labeled?!

23. #6 Credible
Worthy of
confidence,
reliable

24. #6 Is it Credible?
q Is the design appropriate to the
context of use and audience?!
q Is your content updated in a timely
manner? !
q Do you use restraint with promotional
content?!
q Is it easy to contact a real person?!
q Is it easy to verify your credentials?!
q Do you have help/support content
where it is needed? Especially
important when asking for sensitive
personal data.!

25. #7 Controllable
Able to adjust to
a requirement

26. #7 Is it Controllable?
q Are tasks and information a user
would reasonably want to
accomplish available?!
q How well are errors anticipated and
eliminated?!
q When errors do occur, how easily
can a user recover?!
q Are features offered to allow the user
to tailor information or functionality to
their context?!
q Are exits and other important
controls clearly marked?!

27. #8 Valuable
Of great use,
service and
importance

28. #8 Is it Valuable?
q Is it desirable to the target user? !
q Does it maintain conformity with
expectations throughout the interaction
across channels? !
q Can a user easily describe the value?!
q How is success being measured? Does
it contribute to the bottom line?!
q Does it improve customer satisfaction?!

29. #9 Learnable
To fix in the
mind, in the
memory

30. #9 Is it Learnable?
q Can it be grasped quickly?!
q What is offered to ease the more
complicated processes?!
q Is it memorable?!
q Is it easy to recount?!
q Does it behave consistently enough to be
predictable?!

31. #10 Delightful
Greatly
pleasing

32. #10 Is it Delightful?
q What are your differentiators from
other similar experiences or
competitors?!
q What cross channel ties can be
explored that delight? !
q How are user expectations not just
met but exceeded?!
q What are you providing that is
unexpected?!
q What can you take that is now
ordinary and make extraordinary?!

33. 10 Heuristic IA Principles

34. How to Implement Heuristics
where you work...
q Teach this content to your organization – not
just the designers (you can even use this deck)!
q Heuristically review where you are today!
q Set baseline scores and identify principles you
want to see improvement on (and by when)!
q Start using this as the consistent language
when critiquing work!
q Bring these questions as thought starters to
your critiques!

35. thank you
• For listening!
• For caring!
• For making the internet a better place!
!
Twitter: @Abby_The_IA!
Email: abby@understandinggroup.com!
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