Main Task
Undertake an in-depth evaluation of the following website:
Website: http://www.myer.com.au/
Upon the completion of the task, you are to provide a formal report documenting your critical evaluation of the website. The report should draw particular attention to the interactive aspects and user interface design of the website. Support your critique with appropriate HCI design and evaluation principles.
Additional reference and reading material is available in Week 3. The downloadable PDF is from Shneiderman & Plaisant, 2010. Please read Chapter 4 of the PDF. There is a useful section on how to use questionnaires as user testing method.
Do not attempt to submit reports generated by automated web usability test sites. This is regarded as plagiarism as the report and/or its results are not of your work or of your own effort.
What to Include
The purpose of the report is to provide a critical evaluation of the nominated website and to support your observations and recommendation convincingly. Your report should be based on the desktop (e.g. Windows XP, Windows 7 & 8, Apple OSX, Linux) versions of the website. Your report should include:
(1) Clearly identify the nominated website. Provide an overview and description of the nominated website.
(2) Identify and elaborate the main feature or features of the website.
(3) Identify the positive and negative aspects of the website. Draw particular attention to the interaction and usability aspects of the interface.
(4) Invite two other persons to review the nominated website. These participants can be your friends, family members or classmates etc. Include their comments in the report. Provide the background (i.e. age, gender, profession) of the participants. Do their views differ from yours'? State why or why not.
(5) Based upon your critique and observation in items (1) to (4) of the above, provide a recommendation on how the website should be improved. Conversely, if it does not require further improvement, then provide the reason why that this is the case.
(6) Except for item (4) of the above, all assertions relating to HCI design principles (e.g. statements like ‘blue text on red background is a poor colour combination' ) must be supported by references or critical observation. You can cite additional scholarly references other than the textbook. (Note: Do not use Wikipedia as a source of reference).
(7) Figures or diagrams can be added as needed.
Review and Evaluation:
- Overview and description.
- Identify and elaborate main features.
- Identify the positive and negative aspects.
- Reviews and comments from two other participants.
- Recommendation on improvements to be made, or otherwise.
- Demonstrates that in-depth evaluation have been undertaken.
Relevance to Principles of HCI:
- Arguments and assertions are sound.
- Arguments and assertions are supported by HCI principles.
- Arguments are developed consistently and logically.
- Demonstrates understanding of the HCI subject matter and applying this competently to the review.
Presentation:
- Report professionally presented.
- Grammar and spelling.
- Written style and expression.
- Citation and references.
- Overall presentation.
- Within maximum word limit.