An Introduction to Heuristic Evaluation
Heuristic evaluation originated in 1990 when Jakob Nielsen and Rolf Molich published a paper titled "Improving a Human-Computer Dialogue".
Heuristic Evaluation is primarily focused on the general usability of the user interface. It is a method of inspection where evaluators use a set of established heuristics or principles to identify usability flaws and defects in software.
Types of heuristic​
The heuristics we're talking about here are broad rules of thumb that describe common properties of usable interfaces. They are relatively high-level and can be applied to a wide range of user interfaces. There are in fact, a great number of heuristic ‘groups’ to choose from, I suggest picking a set you like the sound of and then giving them a go, to be honest, they're all quite similar. I’ve included run downs of 4 suitable sets below. the Gerhardt-Powals’ Cognitive Engineering Principles are perfect for data heavy software, although in the end, you will never go wrong with Jakob Nielsen’s list. This guide is not exhaustive, for example I have not included the Weinschenk and Barker Classification, which, in my experience, isn’t targeted enough to be of use for non-linear software like DCCs.
How to do Heuristic Evaluation​
The way to perform heuristic evaluation, is to assemble a group of usability experts, I’d suggest 3, but it will still produce valid results with just 1, and then have each expert independently assesses the interface against a given set of usability heuristics, noting issues and violations. Afterwards, consolidate the lists and prioritise the findings. The intended outcome is a list of defects, this is in contrast to Usability Harmonics, which are more retrospective, and can be used to evaluate design decisions, and better inform future ones. I think of it like this, if I want to understand, improve or evaluate the design process of the software, I use Usability Harminics, and if I want to find and fix defects, I use heuristic evaluation. One is useful for improving the future, the other fixes the mistakes of the past.