The seventh class of a 15 week course in Information Architecture taught at Parsons, the New School for Design. Topics include: Use of heuristics to evaluate current systems, and evaluate potential solutions.

1. Class 7:
Understanding is
always good
Instructor: Abby Covert

2. Last Class we...
2

3. Last Class we...
• Developed elevator pitches to further refine our ideas
2

4. Last Class we...
• Developed elevator pitches to further refine our ideas
• Learned how hard consensus can be to reach
2

5. Last Class we...
• Developed elevator pitches to further refine our ideas
• Learned how hard consensus can be to reach
• Got homework, due today!
2

6. Last Class we...
• Developed elevator pitches to further refine our ideas
• Learned how hard consensus can be to reach
• Got homework, due today!
– Elevator pitches
2

7. Last Class we...
• Developed elevator pitches to further refine our ideas
• Learned how hard consensus can be to reach
• Got homework, due today!
– Elevator pitches
– Finished goals (continuums and measurable goals)
2

8. Last Class we...
• Developed elevator pitches to further refine our ideas
• Learned how hard consensus can be to reach
• Got homework, due today!
– Elevator pitches
– Finished goals (continuums and measurable goals)
– A refined requirements and feature list
2

9. Last Class we...
• Developed elevator pitches to further refine our ideas
• Learned how hard consensus can be to reach
• Got homework, due today!
– Elevator pitches
– Finished goals (continuums and measurable goals)
– A refined requirements and feature list
– A research plan
2

10. I am an
information
architect
I intend to because I believe
make the unclear clear everything is complex
put the what architecture frames
before the how problems, design solves
them
facilitate understanding understanding is
organize meaning, always good but it is
create clarity and equally important to
establish truth not understand
support goals, makers clarity is a
and users prerequisite of truth
by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn
3

11. I am an
information
architect
I intend to because I believe
make the unclear clear everything is complex
put the what architecture frames
before the how problems, design solves
them
facilitate understanding understanding is
organize meaning, always good but it is
create clarity and equally important to
establish truth not understand
support goals, makers clarity is a
and users prerequisite of truth
by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn
3

12. What do we want in critique?

13. What do we want in critique?
<Type> Designers: You want to
spark new insights when reviewing
your work alone or with others.
You are trying to avoid:
Blank stares, not knowing where
to start, taking coffee breaks to
avoid critiquing

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

15. But when critiquing work:
What we ALL really want to know is
“Does it have legs?”

16. But when critiquing work:
What we ALL really want to know is
“Does it have legs?”
• Is it stable enough to support the weight of use?

17. But when critiquing work:
What we ALL 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?

18. But when critiquing work:
What we ALL 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 it’s own?

19. But when critiquing work:
What we ALL 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 it’s own?

20. But when critiquing work:
What we ALL 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 it’s own?
A good place to start when answering these questions is
Evaluating it against heuristic principles.

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

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

23. 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

24. Existing Sources for Heuristics

25. Existing Sources for Heuristics

26. Existing Sources for Heuristics

27. Existing Sources for Heuristics

28. Existing Sources for Heuristics

30. • Five sources
• Over Fifty principles
• Lots of overlap

31. • Five sources
• Over Fifty principles
• Lots of overlap

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

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

35. #1 Findable
Able to be
located.

36. #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?

37. #2 Accessible
Easily
approached
and/or entered

38. #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? world’s 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. It’s like building a
ramp to your building, or
accessibility compliance to be refusing to.
considerate of those users with
</soapbox>
disabilities*

39. #3 Clear
Easily
perceptible

40. #3 Is it Clear?
q Is it easy to understand?
q Is the target demographics’ 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?

41. TOP 3 Clarity Offenses

42. TOP 3 Clarity Offenses
• Corporate underpants: When you are obviously
making a navigational decision based on your
organizational structure, not user decision paths.

43. 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 doesn’t work
for your company.

44. 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 doesn’t 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.

45. #4 communicative
Talkative,
informing,
timely

46. #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?

47. #5 Useful
Capable of
producing the
desired or
intended result

48. #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?

49. #6 Credible
Worthy of
confidence,
reliable

50. #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.

51. #7 Controllable
Able to adjust to
a requirement

52. #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?

53. #8 Valuable
Of great use,
service and
importance

54. #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?

55. #9 Learnable
To fix in the
mind, in the
memory

56. #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?

57. #10 Delightful
Greatly
pleasing

58. #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?

59. 10 Heuristic IA Principles

60. What time is it?
35

61. What time is it?
35

62. Workshop
36

63. Conduct a heuristic review
• Think about the existing systems that you
have to interact with to get your project
done
• Run this heuristic process on that system
and document your finding
37

64. Activity Instructions
Step
1:
iden6fy
Tasks
and
Channels
for
evalua6on
Task Channel
(Context)
List 3 core tasks you expect your audience to value over List the channels that their path will put them into contact
others with and in what context.
Step
2:
Split
up
the
principles
amongst
the
team
to
gather
findings
<Principle>
Finding Severity Impact if Fixed
List each major finding in as much Cri6cal:
Affecting the ability to Describe what would be improved if
detail as you feel you need to tell the complete a task this was fixed. Think not just about
story and capture the severity. users, but also about organizational
efficiency
Medium:
Affecting brand reputation or
Note:
there
will
be
overlap,
so
condense
perception of experience
a5er
your
analysis
where
needed.
Low:
Non-impacting issues that would
be nice to fix

65. Example:
Task Channel
(Context)
Buying a pair of shoes and feeling comfortable about her • Website (browsing)
purchase.
• eCommerce (purchase)
• Email (confirmation)
• Mobile (checking email)
• Social (bragging)
Accessibility
Finding Severity Impact if Fixed
Email template is not mobile friendly Medium:
Affecting brand reputation or Users are not using email to its full
and had several instances of broken perception of experience advantage today because of the lack
links when interacted on mobile of mobile friendly style sheet. We
devices expect a uptick in email click through
rate if mobile optimized.

66. Homework
• Come together as a team to document your
heuristic review. Submit via email by 6 PM
Monday 10/29
• Each of you should additionally tackle an
interview based research activity from your plan.
We will be talking about user research in the
next class and I want you each to have some
trial and error before then. Send me an email
before 6 PM Monday 10/29 about your
experience.
40

67. Questions?
CovertA@newschool.edu
@ Abby_The_IA
www.Abbytheia.com