Name : Saket Singh

B248
70021118053

Btech CS cognitive walkthrough

1) Here is a screen from a legacy application called BIS. Discuss the use of color,
explaining at least one way in which the use of color is effective or appropriate, and at
least one way in which it is problematic.

The use of colors in this snapshot of BIS are soothing to eyes, help us differentiate between
attributes. The use of blue color is good as on the black background we can read it clearly.
The greater use of red color should have been avoided as it usually suggests errors and here
red is used for other purpose as well and hence confuses the user.
Instead of using these many colors they should have gone with use of three colors, white,
blue and red(errors). It would have looked effective and really convincing to the users.
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053

2) You are consulting for a company that produces an anti-virus package. This includes a
display for systems administrators which continuously shows the status of all machines in a
domain, with an icon for each machine. If a machine is detected as infected, its icon
immediately turns red, so that the administrator has the option to take it down (unless the
policy is set to do that automatically). To take down an infected machine, the administrator
has to click on it to select it, hit the i key to select the “isolate” option, and then, when the
pop-up dialog box presents the choices OK/cancel, hit the enter key to chose OK. Recently
some customers have been complaining that administrators are taking machines down in error
too often --- specifically, about 0.5% of all isolation actions are incorrect --- and they are
blaming the interface. The company is considering adding a second confirmation pop-up box,
so that the administrator will have to hit enter twice in a row to actually isolate a machine.
a. Give a rough estimate of how much this will decrease the error rate, and justify your
estimate.
Clicking twice will decrease the error date to about half of the before scenario. Administrator
will have to think twice before he isolates the machines or maybe he might mistakenly select
the machine before so now he will have the option to correct the mistake and cancel in the
pop-up option. Human error will decrease drastically.

b. Give a rough estimate of how much extra time this will cost an administrator for each
“isolate” action, and justify your estimate.
Most probably this will cost the administrator double the time for each isolation action. He
will have to think again when shown with the pop-up option. This will consume time.
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053

Question 3:-
We learned that for a cognitive walkthrough, the expert who is evaluating uses an application,
system, prototype, or description of the same to mimic a user completing a certain task. At
each stage of the task (i.e. every time the user executes an action), the following four
questions are asked and answered:
1. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?
2. Is the action visible?
3. Can the user predict the effect of their action?
4. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?

Consider the example as shown below:-SD:-system display, UR:user response

1. SD: The system displays a homepage with at least one option for online ordering.
2. UR: The user chooses one such option.
3. SD: The system prompts the user to choose delivery or pickup.
4. UR: The user chooses delivery.
5. SD: The system will enter a dialog with the user to determine the delivery address.
6. SD: The system presents a menu.
7. UR: The user selects a menu item.
8. SD: The system presents options for that item: quantity, extras, …
9. UR: After optional add-ons, the user adds the item to their cart.
10. SD: The system displays the menu and shopping cart.
11. UR: The user may update quantities at this point.
12. SD: The system displays payment information and checkout information.
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053

Given the following screen captures showing one design realization of this use case

1. Perform a cognitive walkthrough for the design as shown in the screen captures
below. For each action, ask and answer the four questions. For each action in the
sequence, write down the action, 1. 2. 3. and 4. for the answer to each question. If
the answer to the question is “Yes”, that’s all you write down beside its number.
Only write down additional information about questions for which the answer is
“no”. Describe the problem and suggest a design fix.

The Jimmy John’s homepage:

Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053

The next screen for online orders.

Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053

Choose an address. Kimmer’s address deleted for privacy’s sake!

Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053
The Menu!
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053
A choice has been made

We learned that for a cognitive walkthrough, the expert who is evaluating uses an application,
system, prototype, or description of the same to mimic a user completing a certain task. At
each stage of the task (i.e. every time the user executes an action), the following four
questions are asked and answered:

5. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?
6. Is the action visible?
7. Can the user predict the effect of their action?
8. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053
Cognitive Walkthrough :-
24 steps are required
SET -1
1. SD: The system displays a homepage with at least one option for online ordering.
2. UR: The user chooses one such option.

1. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?

Yes, as the user wants to order online and the system is letting to do it.

2. Is the action visible?

No as Adobe Flash Player plug-in is not supported by the browser.

3. Can the user predict the effect of their action?

Yes, the user can predict the effect as he will know that in the next step he may
have to enter delivery address.

4. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?

Yes, as the user will click the option for online order, the system will redirect him
to next step for taking information such as home address, number, etc.

SET -2

3. SD: The system prompts the user to choose delivery or pickup.

4. UR: The user chooses delivery.

1. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?

Yes, as the system is also giving the choice that user wants.

2. Is the action visible?

Yes, the option is visible to choose between delivery and pickup.

3. Can the user predict the effect of their action?

Yes, he can predict that he has to now enter the delivery address.

4. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?

Yes, as when the user has type down the address, there is an indication showing
that what address has been chosen.
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053
SET -3

1. SD: The system will enter a dialog with the user to determine the delivery
address.
2. UR: The user either chooses default address or type a new address.

1. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?

Yes, as the user wants to select or type a address and the system is letting him do it.

2. Is the action visible?

Yes, the option to type or select the address is visible.

3. Can the user predict the effect of their action?

Yes, the user can predict that he has to now enter the delivery address.

4. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?

Yes, as when the user has typed down the new address or selected the default
address, there is an indication showing the same that what the user had selected.

SET -4

1. SD: The system presents a menu.

2. UR: The user selects a menu item.

1. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?

Yes, as the user wants to select the items from menu and the system is displaying
the menu item.

2. Is the action visible?

Yes, the menu is visible.

3. Can the user predict the effect of their action?

Yes, the user can predict that he now have to select the menu item.

4. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?
Yes, the system will show the items that user has selected.

SET -5

9. SD: The system presents options for that item: quantity, extras, …
10. UR: After optional add-ons, the user adds the item to their cart.
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053
1. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?

Yes, as the user may want to add some extras to his cart and the system is giving
the option to do it.

2. Is the action visible?

Yes, the options to increase quantity or add extras is visible to users.

3. Can the user predict the effect of their action?

Yes, the user can predict that after adding items it will show in the cart.

4. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?

Yes, as the added items will be shown in the cart by the system and easily
understandable by the user.

SET -6

11. SD: The system displays the menu and shopping cart.
12. UR: The user may update quantities at this point.

1. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?

No, as user wants to update the quantities but there is no such option is given on the
menu to edit or remove.

2. Is the action visible?

No, the update option is not visible.

3. Can the user predict the effect of their action?

No, as there is no option given by the system so user cannot perform or predict
action.

4. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?

No, because there is not any action performed.

SET -7
13. SD: The system displays payment information and checkout information.
14. UR: The user wants to do payment.

1. Is the effect of the action the same as the user’s intention at that point?
Name : Saket Singh
B248
70021118053

Yes, as the user wants to do payment and the system is showing payment
information.

2. Is the action visible?

Yes, the checkout button is visible below the cart.

3. Can the user predict the effect of their action?

Yes, the user can predict that he has to now enter his payment details.

4. Will the user understand the feedback they receive for this action?

Yes, as the user can see his checkout receipt.

Observation: We observed the working actual cognitive walkthrough on given example and
also designed a wireframe on online shopping using online tool.

Conclusion: We used actual cognitive walkthrough and designed a wireframe.