Evaluating Online Travel Agencies’ Usability: What Heuristics Should We Use?

Cristian Rusu, Virginica Rusu, Daniela Quiñones, Silvana Roncagliolo, Virginia Zaraza Rusu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Online travel agencies’ customers have nowadays a wide range of alternatives and are more demanding. Usability is a basic attribute in software quality. Heuristic evaluation is arguably the most popular usability inspection method, well-known and widely used. A heuristic evaluation may be performed based on generic or specific heuristics. Many sets of specific (usually domain-related) usability heuristics were published. Heuristic quality scales to validate and/or evaluate new heuristics were proposed. The paper analyzes evaluators’ perception on three sets of usability heuristics, when evaluating the same product: Nielsen’s generic heuristics, a set of cultural-oriented heuristics for e-Commerce, and a set of heuristics for smartphones applications (SMASH). We made an experiment with 38 Computer Science students, enrolled in a Human-Computer Interaction introductory course, using the online travel agency Expedia.com as case study; the web and mobile versions were evaluated. We assessed students’ perception based on a questionnaire that rates each heuristic individually (Utility, Clarity, Ease of use, Necessity of additional checklist), but also the set of heuristics as a whole (Easiness, Intention of future use, Completeness).

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSocial Computing and Social Media. User Experience and Behavior - 10th International Conference, SCSM 2018, Held as Part of HCI International 2018, Proceedings
EditorsGabriele Meiselwitz
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages121-130
Number of pages10
ISBN (Print)9783319915203
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018
Event10th International Conference on Social Computing and Social Media, SCSM 2018 Held as Part of HCI International 2018 - Las Vegas, United States
Duration: 15 Jul 201820 Jul 2018

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume10913 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference10th International Conference on Social Computing and Social Media, SCSM 2018 Held as Part of HCI International 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLas Vegas
Period15/07/1820/07/18

Keywords

  • Heuristic evaluation
  • Heuristic quality
  • Online travel agency
  • Usability heuristics

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