Usability inspection methods: report on a workshop held at CHI'92, Monterey, CA, May 3–4, 1992

ABSTRACT

Usability inspection methods, based on informed intuition s about interface design quality, hold promise of providing faster, more cost-effective ways to generate usability evaluations, compared to empirical user evaluation methods . Examples of inspection methods include heuristic evaluation (Nielsen & Molich, 1990), usability walkthroughs (Bias, 1991 ; Karat & Bennett, 1991a, 1991b), cognitive walk -throughs (Lewis, Polson, Wharton & Reiman, 1990), and applications of guidelines in walkthroughs (Jeffries, Miller, Wharton, & Uyeda, 1991). These methods have been used in development for some time in one form or another (perhap s by other names), often because there is simply no alternative like user testing. Usability inspection methods have been an object of research in the last two years or so . Progress has been made in refining methods, and understanding their role i n usability engineering.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)

Additional Classification:
  A. General Literature
  A.0 GENERAL
      Subjects: Conference proceedings

  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques
          Subjects: User interfaces

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors, Performance

Keywords:
cognitive walkthroughs, heuristic evaluation, non-empirical usability evaluation, usability inspection, usability walkthroughs, user interface design guidelines