Chapter 5: Evaluation and the User Experience
Discussion Topics with Answers
1. Describe at least three different types of expert review methods.
See DTUI6 Section 5.2 for a discussion of these expert review methods:
2. Create a bird’s-eye view of an interface you wish to investigate. Focus on detecting
inconsistencies and spotting unusual patterns.
Recall that getting a bird’s-eye view of an interface by studying a full set of
3. Compare and contrast controlled psychological experiments and usability tests in
the evaluation process of user interfaces. Be sure to include the benefits and
limitations of each.
4. Give two reasons why expert reviews are useful. Also give two limitations of expert
reviews.
For questions 5-7, refer to the following instructions:
One argument against the current interface design of a popular word processor is
that it has all the functional menu items appearing together which cause the
interface to be too complex. This complexity results in a confusing and frustrating
experience for novice users. An alternative design is to provide different levels of
5. Which type of usability testing should be used for this situation? Explain why.
6. List some general principles of subject selection in usability testing. How should
you select subjects for this case?
7. List and briefly describe the steps in the usability testing you would conduct.