COMP3511/9511 Human Computer Interaction
Assignment 1
Term 2, 2025
User Interface Analysis & Critique
DUE: Friday, July 4th at 23:59 (Week 5)
1. Introduction
In designing a user interface, it is important to be able to critically analyse what makes a website good or bad, without just stating that you do or do not like it. The critique should be based on formal user interface principles and theories instead of basing it on your ideas.The process of providing a critique involves stating both the positive and negative aspects of the interface.
In this assignment, you will critically analyse the user interface of a legal information or consumer rights website. These websites provide essential public services, including legal advice, consumer protection, dispute resolution, tenancy rights, and information about government regulations. They are often content-heavy, policy-driven, and used by a diverse audience including vulnerable or digitally inexperienced users.
You may choose one of the following websites, or select a similar one related to legal guidance, consumer rights, or regulatory services in Australia or internationally.
Example Websites:
• NSW Fair Trading
Offers consumer protection, tenancy information, building licenses, and dispute resolution.
• Legal Aid NSW
Provides free legal services, self-help resources, and support for disadvantaged people.
• ACCC – Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Covers competition law, fair trading, scams, and product safety.
• Justice Connect
Supports not-for-profits and individuals with legal help and digital legal tools.
• Victorian Legal Aid
Another state-based legal aid service, similar to NSW’s.
• QCAT – Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal
Offers legal services related to small claims, tenancy, and administrative reviews.
• Citizens Advice (UK)
A widely used UK site offering free advice on consumer rights, housing, employment, and legal issues.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (USA)
Provides consumer protection and financial education in the US context.
You can analyse the whole website or even select some key pages.
Please make sure you review the website in the English language.
2. Steps for doing this assignment
The following presents a list of steps that you need to follow to complete the assignment. Please set out your work clearly in a report-based format.
2.1. Introduction: Provide a brief explanation of the purpose of the website.
2.2. Analysis of the design and visual design principles in an issue table: Try to complete some tasks from the user’s perspective while analysing the website. The tasks should cover the main functionality of the website.
As you complete the tasks, note down any negative or positive aspects of the interface in an issues table (see Appendix B).
Your critique is based on Design Principles, Heuristics, Usability Goals and User Experience Goals (found in Appendix A).
Additionally, you are required to analyse the chosen website based on visual design principles, including layout style. (symmetry or asymmetry), white space, colour harmony, colour contrast, alignment of the components, and system flow. Once again note down any issues you encounter or any positive aspects of the interface in an issues table.
List both design principles and visual design principles in the table.
Please consider the points below in your issue table:
a. In your issue table, you should try to list as many usability and visual design issues as you can, including both positive and negative issues.
b. Number each of the issues that you discovered in your walkthrough. The issues table (refer to Appendix B) will consist of an Issue Number, whether the issue is Positive/Negative, Severity rating, Description, Heuristic, Design Principle or Visual Design Principles that apply to each issue and the effects of each issue on the Usability Goals and the User Experience Goals. You will also include a screenshot of the issue found with an annotation that explains the issue visually. (You should annotate your screenshots to make it clear where the issue presents itself).
c. As you go, link how the lack or existence of each principle (Design Principles, Heuristic Principles, and Visual Design Principles) could affect the Usability goals and, consequently, the user experience goals.
For example, if the text colour is completely different on different pages of the website, it is an example of lack of consistency which is related to the design principal category, lack of consistency can affect learnability which is related to usability goals, and it can make the website annoying or frustrating which is related to the user experience goals. You can find this example in Appendix B.
d. Please consider that each issue can be related to more than one design or heuristic principle.
e. You must consider both positive and negative issues.
f. Make sure your screenshots point out specific features on the screenshots. Do this by annotating the screenshots. We strongly encourage you to take regular screenshots as the websites are live and can change without notice.
Pictures below show some examples of annotated screenshots:
If you prefer not to include the screenshots in the table, you can put them in an appendix and just add the image number in the issues table.
2.3. Analysis of the design and visual design principles in detail
a. Choose 8 negative issues from your issues table and IN DETAIL provide a critique of the issues and potential solutions to solve the issue. For example, if you have 20 issues in your issue table, choose the 8 most important negative issues and explain them in detail.
b. You should explain each issue based on the design principles, the heuristics principles, visual design principles or a combination of them, then mention why the lack of or existence of each issue could increase or decrease the usability goals and consequently the user experience goals.
c. Your critical analysis should have enough detail. For instance, it is not enough to just mention “the arrangement of buttons provides a poor mapping.” You must be able to critically justify each of your points in detail.
d. After doing the critical analysis for each of the 8 issues, justify the reason you believe there is a usability or visual design issue and suggest a possible solution to resolve the issue. For example, if there is a consistency issue, propose a solution to address the consistency issue of the website.
2.4. Analysis of Accessibility
In this section, you will analyse the website in terms of accessibility for people with different needs, including vision impairment, colour blindness, hearing impairment, etc. and provide possible solutions to solve 2 issues.
* You don’t need to include the accessibility issues in the issue table.
2.5. Analysis of Mobile Design
Review the website on your phone and identify usability issues related to the small touch screen. Identify 3 usability issues and provide a solution for resolving each issue.
* You don’t need to include the Mobile design issues in the issue table.
2.6. Sketch your design solutions
Referring to the issues identified related to the design principles, visual design, accessibility and mobile design, sketch 13 potential solutions (8 sketches related to the usability and visual design principles, 2 sketches related to accessibility, and 3 sketches for Mobile design issues) to these issues that you believe may improve the interface. Please annotate the sketch of your solution making it clear what you have changed and explaining how it has improved the interface or removed the issue you had originally found.
3. Formatting
Please read the following carefully, as there are marks allocated for your formatting and presentation.
● The report should be presented in an A4 document.
● The report, excluding the cover pages, must be a maximum of 20 pages.
● 12-point font should be used for the main body of text.
● Consistent font sizes (e.g., use the same font size for all headings)
● Use 1.5 line spacing
● Use a 2.5 cm margin on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right).
● Add page numbers
● Include your details including name, student number, tutorial time, and tutor on the title page.
The following can be used as an overall guide for structuring your report:
A. Title Page, stating the title of your assignment, your name, student number and the name of your tutor and tutorial time – THIS ISNOT INCLUDED IN YOUR PAGE LIMIT
B. Explaining the purpose of the selected website (One paragraph)
C. Issues table (including Annotated Screenshots) (3-4 pages)
D. Analysis of the 8 chosen design and visual design issues with their respective 8 solutions (4-6 pages)
E. Analysis of the mobile design and solutions (2-3 pages)
F. Analysis of the accessibility and solutions (1-1.5 page)
G. Sketch of the solutions (5-6 pages) – each sketch must be at least 1/3 a page for readability
Note to the above: The number of pages above are guidelines and suggested maximums for each section. You do not need to fill the suggested space. The maximum for the report is 20 pages in total, please note that the title page does not contribute to this page limit.
Your work is evaluated based on your depth of analysis and the accuracy of your answers. Therefore, if the number of pages is less than 20, it won’t affect your mark given you cover all the required parts of the assignment to high quality.
4. Assessment
Please ensure you read the following carefully, as there is important information regarding how you are to submit the assignment.
● The assignment constitutes 25% of your final assessment.
● This assignment is to be completed individually.
● For late submissions:
• A late penalty of 5% will be deducted (off the raw mark) per day (or part thereof) late.
• Assignments submitted after 23:59 on the due date will be marked as late.
• E.g. if your assignment is marked at 80% and you are late by two days, you will receive 70%
5. Submission
The assignment is to be submitted electronically through Moodle as a PDF file.
The assignment is due and to be submitted online (using the provided link) in Week 5, July 4th at 23:59.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In the final hours or so before the submission deadline, Moodle often experiences a high load as students try to submit at once. A late submission because Moodle was overloaded is not a valid excuse. Upload earlier! Uploading your assignment earlier will also give you a chance to make any necessary changes to your work if plagiarism is detected by the plagiarism checker upon submission.
A Turnitin submission link will be made available on Moodle prior to the due date. As you submit, your assignment will be passed through a plagiarism check. If there are any issues, you can re- submit the assignment and a new plagiarism report will be generated.
Please note that for second and subsequent submissions, it can take up to 24 hours to generate the plagiarism report, so do not leave this to the last minute!