It sounds like you could use a HEURISTICS EVALUATION:
Heuristic evaluation (Nielsen and Molich, 1990; Nielsen 1994:
http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/) is a usability engineering
method for finding the usability problems in a user interface design
so that they can be attended to as part of an iterative design
process. Heuristic evaluation involves having a small set of
evaluators examine the interface and judge its compliance with
recognized usability principles (the "heuristics"):
Jakob Nielsen has a list of his "Ten Usability Heuristics"
(http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html):
VISIBILITY OF SYSTEM STATUS
The system should always keep users informed about what is going on,
through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
MATCH BETWEEN SYSTEM AND THE REAL WORLD
The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and
concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms.
Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural
and logical order.
USER CONTROL AND FREEDOM
Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a
clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted state without
having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.
CONSISTENCY AND STANDARDS
Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations,
or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.
ERROR PREVENTION
Even better than good error messages is a careful design which
prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either
eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users
with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
RECOGNITION RATHER THAN RECALL
Minimize the user's memory load by making objects, actions, and
options visible. The user should not have to remember information
from one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the
system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate.
FLEXIBILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF USE
Accelerators -- unseen by the novice user -- may often speed up the
interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to
both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor
frequent actions.
AESTHETIC AND MINIMALIST DESIGN
Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or
rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes
with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative
visibility.
HELP USERS RECOGNIZE, DIAGNOSE, AND RECOVER FROM ERRORS
Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes),
precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a
solution.
HELP AND DOCUMENTATION
Even though it is better if the system can be used without
documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation.
Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user's
task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
{ Itamar Medeiros } Information Designer
http://designative.info/
http://www.autodesk.com/
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=30267
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