Defining Virtual Worlds Usability Heuristics

Virtual Worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated virtual environments accessed by multiple users through their avatars. VWs constitute a growing space for collaborative play, learning and work. Usability evaluation for VWs brings new challenges. There is a need for new evaluation methods or at least an extensive use of traditional evaluations in novel ways. The paper describes the development process of a new set of usability heuristics for VWs applications, including their early validation through two case studies. A usability checklist to use when applying VWs heuristics is also proposed.