USABILITY HEURISTICS

1. Use Temporal Trend Analysis Techniques

Temporal relationships and comparisons are important in recognizing patterns, trends, and

potential issues. Therefore, the dashboard should have temporal capabilities to show trends over

time and in relationship to historical data. In addition, information should be presented in a priority

order based on recentness, urgency, and impact (Lechner and Fruhling, 2014; Shneiderman,1996).

2. Decision Support

Data representation should be understandable by end-users and help them to make decisions

(Luzzardi et al., 2002).

3. Self-Evidence

Use perceptual cues to make relationships among multiple views more apparent to the user. A

design should not require user to spend time in understanding it rather it should be clear just by

looking at it. For example, web-links should use such colors and font styles that there may not be

any need to tell the user to ‘click here’ (Wang Baldonado, Woodruff, & Kuchinsky, 2000).

4. Attention Management

Use perceptual techniques to focus the user’s attention on the right view at the right time (Wang

Baldonado, Woodruff, & Kuchinsky, 2000).

5. Use Simple Transition

Complicated transforms with unpredictable motion paths or multiple simultaneous changes result

in increased cognitive load. Simple, direct transitions alleviate confusion, impose less memory

burden, and improve predictability (Heer and Robertson, 2007).

 6. Group similar transitions

The Gestalt principle of Common Fate states that objects that undergo similar visual changes are

more likely to be perceptually grouped, helping viewers to understand that elements are

simultaneously undergoing the same operation (Heer and Robertson, 2007).

7. Grouping/distinction by Location

It concerns the relative positioning of items to indicate whether they belong to a given class, or

else to indicate differences between classes (Bastien and Scapin, 1993).

8. Grouping/distinction by Format

It concerns more precisely graphical features (format, color, etc.) that indicate whether items

belong to a given class, or that indicate distinctions between different classes, or else distinctions

between items of a given class (Bastien and Scapin, 1993).

9. Resource Optimization (Time, Space)

Balance the spatial and temporal costs of presenting multiple views with the spatial and temporal

benefits of using the views. It is easy to forget to account for the display space and computation

time required to present multiple views side-by-side; likewise, it is easy to forget to account for

the time saved by side-by-side views if the user’s goal is to compare views (Wang Baldonado,

Woodruff, & Kuchinsky, 2000).

10. Maintain valid data graphics during transition

To ensure viewer’s mental models are congruent with the semantics of the data, we suggest that,

as much as possible, intermediate interpolation states remain valid data graphics. While some

violations are unavoidable, such as during shape deformations, this rule seeks to minimize

unwarranted attributions to the data. Entailments of this principle include avoiding uninformative
animation, and considering the relation between axes and the data marks during transitions (Heer

and Robertson, 2007).

11. Avoid Ambiguity

Avoid ambiguous semantics across transitions. For example, time-steps in bar charts could involve

animated changes of bar heights. The same animation might be used in a data schema change in

which an unrelated variable is swapped into the bar chart. However, not only does this abuse object

constancy, the ambiguity increases the risk of misinterpreting the transition. Ideally, semantic

operators should have noticeably different transitions (Heer and Robertson, 2007).

12. Minimize Occlusion

If objects occlude each other during a transition, they will be more difficult to track, potentially

harming perception (Heer and Robertson, 2007).

13. Maximize Predictability

If the target state of a transitioning item is predictable after viewing a fraction of its trajectory, this

will reduce cognitive load and improve tracking. This suggests slow-in slow-out timing—not only

are starting and ending states emphasized, the use of acceleration should improve spatial and

temporal predictability (Heer and Robertson, 2007).

14. Use staging for complex transition

Some transitions are inherently complex and do not lend themselves to simple transitions. In such

cases, one can break up the transition into a set of simple sub-transitions, allowing multiple

changes to be easily observed. For example, separating axis rescaling from value changes may

help. Besides, use multiple levels of details if required (Heer and Robertson, 2007; Zuk, Schlesier,

Neumann, Hancock, & Carpendale, 2006).

 15. Make transitions if needed

Transition stages and dwells between them must be long enough for accurate change tracking, but

when too slow can result in longer task times and diminished engagement. Recommend transition

time is around 1 second, though transitions with minimal movement can likely be performed faster

(Heer and Robertson, 2007).

16. Spatial Organization

Spatial organization is the easiness in locating an object and the awareness degree users have with

respect to the information space. The logical order is measured in terms of user’s orientation in the

information space, distribution of elements in the layout, for precision and legibility, efficiency in

space usage and distortion of visual elements (Luzzardi et al., 2002).

17. Spatial Orientation

The spatial orientation, which contributes for the user being aware of the distribution of

information elements, is dependent on the display of the reference context while showing details

of one or more specific elements (Luzzardi et al., 2002).

18. Data set reduction

Concerns provided features for reducing a data set, their efficiency and ease of use (Forsell and

Johansson, 2010).

19. 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 (Nielsen, 1994a).

 20. 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 (Nielsen, 1994a).