A Tutorial of Ten User Experience Heuristics

Abstract

This tutorial presents ten user experience heuristics for service and product designers and developers. The aim of the heuristics is to help designers to take user experience aspects into account when making design solutions. The heuristics are created based on the empirical user experience studies of mobile services. However, heuristics are general and can be used in any kind of service or product design and evaluation context (e.g. mobile services, web sites, applications). Using these heuristics, developers can find out negative and positive user experience issues that can be taken into account in further design iterations.

Heuristics Considering UX and Quality Criteria for Heuristics

“…Two publications [10], [12] deal with special heuristics for the evaluation of the UX. Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila and Wäljas [10] predominantly relates it to a model in accordance with Hassenzahl [1], whereas Arhippainen [12] orientates herself on the definition of ISO 9241-210 [2].…”

“…• Other heuristics serve as the basis for the new heuristics [8], [9], [12], [13] • Practical experiences are used in establishing them [8], [10], [12], [13] • The establishment of heuristics on the basis of literature research [8], [10], [12], [14] • The results from questionnaires by experts serve as the basis for new heuristics [8], [13] • Heuristics are obtained from the validation of applications [8], [14] Characteristics for the good application of heuristics or quality criteria are only named individually in literature on the topic [12], [14]- [16].…”

“…General heuristics are easy to understand and implement [12], [16]; however, many specific topics could be overlooked [7].…”

“…• Established usability heuristics from Nielsen [3] and Shneiderman [19] • Heuristics specially created for mobile end devices [7] • Heuristics for the examination of persuasive technologies [8] • Specific heuristics for the examination of the UX [10], [12] Amongst the articles selected, only two publications can be found [10], [12] that developed heuristics of the measurement of the UX.…”

“…In a tutorial, Arhippainen [12] presented 10 user experience heuristics. The aim of the heuristics is to support designers shaping aspects of the UX.…”