This unit introduces the topic of evaluating interactive products. It is a short unit as evaluation is discussed in more detail in Block 4. Its brevity should give you additional time to work on your TMA. Evaluation checks that users can use the product and like it. Evaluation assesses how well, or otherwise, the usability goals and user experience goals for an interactive product have been satisfied in a particular design. Evaluation is one of the key activities in the ID lifecycle and as such is central to M364. You should not think that because evaluation is not taught in detail until the final block of the module that it is unimportant. Without evaluation you can never know whether the ID process has been successful, so it is essential, and in reality you will probably need to keep evaluating throughout the process.

In particular, the unit discusses some of the basic principles of evaluation - referred to as the 'why, what, where and when' of evaluation. It then describes three approaches to evaluation: usability testing; field studies; and analytical evaluations, explaining how these can be combined and how sometimes it is appropriate to apply these in an opportunistic manner. This discussion is complemented by an introductory video programme which introduces the topic of evaluation.