The Cognitive Graphical Jogthrough (CGJ): An interface evaluation method with assessment capabilities

In this paper we present the “Cognitive Graphical Jogthrough (CGJ)” interface evaluation method. It is an evaluation method with experts based on the former work of C. Lewis and P. Polson who have introduced the “Cognitive Walkthrough” method and the later enhanced version of D. Rowley and D. Rhoades “Cognitive Jogthrough”. In the beginning we briefly descibe these methods as well as experiences and problems evolving from their use. They consist both of a team of experts who take the place of less experienced would be users trying to identify problems and shortcomings during the use of the interface. The evaluators note their rating in an appropriate questionnaire. In the former method (the Cognitive Walkthrough) a recorder keeps record of every oral notification of the evaluators while in the latter method (the Cognitive Jogthrough) a video camera is used in addition to the recorder speeding up the recording procedure. We modified these methods in two major ways: One is the addition to the questionnaire of diagrams in different versions where the evaluators can check their rating for the particular action. These diagrams offer the ability to asses the interface, since they give the possibility to represent graphically the intuition and usability of the interface (in the evaluators’ opinion), depending on the form of the diagram and the corresponding questions in the questionnaire. Secondly we propose the name “Recording Media” for the complete set consisting of the evaluators’ questionnaires, the recorder, the camera and the recorder’s form: We combined the use of the camera with the notes of the recorder in a very supplemental way and “transparent” to the evaluators. In other words we propose, in addition to the evaluators’ questionnaires, a “logging method” consisting of a person the recorder, who notifies the timecodes and the corresponding description of what happens at this particular moment, a camera which records everything and an appropriate recorder’s form with guidelines about how to fill it out in a way that supplements the other two elements. We have called the complete set (questionnaires, recorder, camera, recorder’s form) “recording media”.