Heuristic Evaluation

The goal of heuristic evaluation is to find usability problems in the design so that they can be attended to as part of an iterative design process.

Visibility of system status

The secateurs have appropriate feedback for the battery level. The power meter indicates the battery available. For better understanding the battery level has been dressed up with colors that are indicative of the power level left. The time for displaying the appropriate power level is minimum therefore the feedback is immediate.

Match between system and the real world

The product faced this heuristic well by adding an “on/off” indication on the button that starts the power tool.

User control and freedom

The product serves this heuristic well since it prevents the user from performing an operation which is unwanted, such as turning the power tool on, by adding a safety button. Even though if the power tool is turned on by mistake the control that the user has over the tool is immediate since he/she can simply re-push the same button to terminate the operation of the tool.

Consistency and standards

The product passed this heuristic. The usage of the product was clear and the meaning of the buttons and their usage was also clear. There was no ambiguity in what the operation of each button was.

Error prevention

There are not many errors that can occur during the process of using the secateurs. The only thing that can occur and the product has handle it, is in the situation where the user by accident operates the secateurs by pushing the “on” button. The product has faced this error and has successfully prevented it from happening by adding a safety button that must be released in order for mechanical part of the secateurs to operate.

Recognition rather than recall

The tool does not require the user to recall any information from a previous use of the product. The recognition of the steps required to operate the tool are visible and easily understandable.

Flexibility and efficiency of use

The speed in which the circular blade rotates is proportional to the degree of pressure exerted on the button. Therefore an experienced user can complete a task faster by using the full speed of the circular blade while an inexperienced user can operate the tool starting the rotation of the circular blade at a lower speed.


Aesthetic and minimalist design

Aesthetic of the product is similar to conventional secateur designs. The design of the product is minimalist, having only the required information that are needed to operate it present. Therefore the product satisfies this heuristic.

Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors

There are no errors that can occur during the procedures required to use the power tool to achieve a goal.

Help and documentation

No documentation for the secateurs because of their simplicity.