Improving Usability in a Smart Building Ecosystem through Heuristic Evaluation and Usability Testing

Abstract

The design of smart-building digital ecosystems presents challenges when multiple interfaces must serve users with distinct roles, expertise levels, and operational contexts. Rather than focusing solely on the identification of performance deficiencies, this study adopts an interpretive approach aimed at generating real-use-based insights for the design of multi-interface systems. Three interfaces of a smart-building software ecosystem were evaluated: the End-User App, the Management Software, and the Worker App. A heuristic evaluation based on Nielsen’s ten usability heuristics and ISO 9241-110 principles was combined with a usability study involving eight participants who performed representative tasks under a think-aloud protocol. Sessions were recorded and analyzed through thematic analysis. The integration of these two methods reveals a coherent and mutually reinforcing picture: heuristic violations identified prior to testing, including insufficient system feedback, inconsistent iconography, and poor information architecture, were consistently confirmed by user behavior and verbalizations. The Worker App demonstrated strong task-oriented usability, while the End-User App was generally accessible but exhibited specific interaction gaps. The Management Software presented the steepest learning curve among the three interfaces. Cross-cutting themes point to ecosystem-level design opportunities. The study contributes evidence-based recommendations framed as a practical resource for iterative interface improvement, and illustrates how combined heuristic and usability evaluation constitutes a methodologically robust approach to the human-centered assessment of complex multi-interface systems.

Keywords: User experience, Human-Centered Design, Multi-Interface Systems, Smart Building

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008080