Assignment

Pick one of the following websites / applications to evaluate:

• Blackboard - Please focus on just one or two aspects of Blackboard, for example the main course screen and maybe one more specific component, such as viewing your grades in a course).
• LMSMobile app

As you work, make a list of each usability problem you find. For each one, record the following:

• Which of Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics is violated. (If a problem seems like it could belong to one of several categories, don’t worry too much about picking the “right” one. Finding the violation is the most important part.)
• Argue (in a few sentences) why the heuristic is violated.
• Rate the severity of the violation. 
• If possible, take a screenshot of the violation and attach it on the report.

Discuss the following questions

• What were the most severe problems with the site? How do these problems fit into Nielsen’s heuristic categories? What are some suggestions to fix the UI, and how do your proposed changes relate to the heuristic categories?
• Which problems, if any, were made easier to find (or potentially easier to correct) by the list of Nielsen’s heuristics? (That is, if you were asked to perform a usability evaluation of the site without first discussing heuristics, what might you have overlooked?)
• Did you encounter usability problems that seemed to not be included under any of Nielsen’s heuristics? If so, what additional heuristics might you propose for this type of application or site?