Re: [Ayatana] Sudoku: Let's try a heuristic usability evaluation

[Dylan McCall <dylanmccall@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have built up somewhat a list for this one. Sorry, couldn't help but
throw some suggestions in. Feel free to ignore them :)

Upon loading the application, I am presented with a very spartan screen.
That in itself is not an issue. However…

Using an icon grid to present game modes / saved games is unusual.
Creates some question about how to proceed. Most applications use
buttons, which are universally recognized both in what they look like
and how they can be interacted with via the keyboard.
(principle: Consistency and standards)
(suggestion: The Glom guy did some nice work with this stuff:
http://dborg.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/glom-ui-review/ )

The icon view has a giant white box around it. This distances it, and
its contents, from anything around it. Whenever I skim over this start
screen, I find myself ignoring the “New Game” title; my eye is first
drawn to the items inside that white box, leading to some confusion.
(principle: Aesthetic and minimalist design)

Upon loading the application, there is a menu at the top of the screen
but almost every option in it is disabled. The one useful / usable
option here (Print multiple sudokus) is poorly represented by that
situation.
(principle: Aesthetic and minimalist design, Visibility of awesome
features)
(suggestion: There is no lack of space in this landing screen)

I have an embarrassing saved game that says I was playing for 50 minutes
and filled in a single square. It is not clear how to remove this saved
game. It turns out I must open that game, then choose the New Game
button and select Abandon Game from the sanity check dialog.
(principle: User control and freedom)

It is not clear that abandoning a game will delete its previously saved
state; it reads as though pressing that button will simply abandon
today's efforts. The sanity checker makes sense when the user is closing
a new game, where saving or not saving is a binary choice. When there is
an existing game to save over, those two options are open to wrongful
interpretation. In addition, no other sanity check dialog I have seen
has presented a “delete this file” option, which is what this does in
the latter case.
(principle: Error prevention, Consistency and standards)


Then, I Journeyed Into The Game!
…


Number pad buttons when I double click a box are needlessly small.
Problematic for touch screen users, who would benefit the most from the
feature.
(principle: Flexibility and efficiency of use)

Number pad appears on mouse down. For most elements that do this
(menus), it is possible to move the mouse over the desired option that
pops up and release the button to choose it. However, in this case, the
user must click twice.
(principle: Consistency and standards)


The Track Additions feature makes a lot more sense if I read the tooltip
for its toolbar button. Otherwise, at first glance, it sounds like a
feature in an office suite that automatically records revisions to a
document. As I learned, its functionality is very simple: it lets you
add numbers in a certain colour. You can later remove numbers that you
have written in that colour. Cool. By turning this simple concept into
“Trackers,” it becomes complicated. I suggest presenting this purely by
function, instead of creating a metaphor.

It is not immediately obvious what a Tracker is.
(principle: Match between system and the real world)

No Tracker, especially in a giant empty box, looks like the application
communicating an error. It is as if it telling me that there are no
trackers. What are trackers?!
(principle: Match between system and the real world)

I selected Track Additions, which communicates that I am interested in
initiating that feature. Without a doubt, my next step should be to add
one more more Trackers. However, the Add Tracker button is all the way
at the bottom of the window. The user's eye has to penetrate a scary,
thick empty space, first.
(principle: Aesthetic and minimalist design)

The name given to each tracker (“Tracker 1”, 2, 3, 4…) can not be
changed, and has no effect elsewhere in the user interface. The text is
entirely redundant.
(principle: Aesthetic and minimalist design)

The boot prints icon used in the Trackers list suggested, to me, that
the feature would let me retrace my steps sequentially. That is not
really the case.
(principle: Aesthetic and minimalist design)

The Trackers feature appears as something that is turned on and off. The
action named “Track additions” is toggled, but all this does is show /
hide the Trackers pane. Numbers continue to be associated with the
currently selected Tracker.
(principle: Consistency and standards)

No way to remove a tracker. The Clear Tracker button, beside Add
Tracker, looks promising. In fact, that button removes all numbers
belonging to said tracker.
(principle: Error prevention)

Colour blind users may not appreciate needing to add multiple trackers
before they reach one with a colour they can clearly differentiate.
(principle: User control and freedom)


Sorry, I can't help but recommend how to fix this one, for what it's
worth:
>From my perspective, it seems logical to replace the “Track Additions”
action with a new one titled “Change colour,” which has a sub-menu
containing a bunch of predefined colours. Another action could be added
that says something like “Clear coloured numbers…,” where the user could
choose to remove red numbers, yellow numbers, etc. The exact wording
would need some work :)


Take care,
Dylan