The free AREA heuristics toolkit is intended to evaluate AR and MR devices and applications. It can be used to identify potential product pitfalls or areas of delight for prospective users.
The toolkit includes 12 heuristics and 109 checklist items to identify potential usability issues. A heuristic checklist serves as a structured approach to evaluating various aspects of the software, ensuring that it meets quality standards, user needs, and other important criteria.
Heuristic checklists are designed based on heuristics, which are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that simplify decision-making. The checklists in our toolkit help individuals or teams consider important aspects of a problem or decision systematically.
Based on research literature and best practices, the heuristic checklist was developed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University working in concert with the AREA Human Factors Committee. It has been validated for a variety of devices and use cases including head-mounted displays, mobile AR & MR, smart glasses, navigation, collaboration, education, games, maintenance training, and retail.
It is possible for one evaluator to complete a heuristic evaluation with this toolkit. However, it is recommended that 3-5 evaluators conduct evaluations individually and discuss their findings together. An evaluator may find usability problems that other evaluators may overlook, and multiple evaluators can provide a diverse variety of solutions.
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