This cooperative adventure game has complete subtitles for speech. When an unseen enemy approaches, a rising sound tells the player which side it is on; the subtitle says only “[enemy nearby]”.
Task 8: Accessibility Audit
Level 1 HCI external · Student evidence sheet · Choose a familiar game or non-game interface
This is not a scorecard. Finding more settings does not automatically make an
interface more accessible. Your job is to select strong evidence and trace what it changes for a
particular user completing a particular task.
1. Set the context before opening the settings
Choose an interface you know well enough to test. It may be a game, learning platform, streaming app, map, creative tool, transport interface or another teacher-approved interface.
Interface and type
Name it, then circle: GAME / NON-GAME.
Primary purpose
What is this interface meant to help people do?
Specific user
Who are you analysing? Name a relevant access need or condition without stereotyping.
Specific task
What is that user trying to complete in the interface?
2. Use the five-link evidence chain
- Feature
What can you observe or test? - Principle
Which lens is most precise? - User + task
Who is doing what? - Usability effect
What changes? - Purpose
Why does that consequence matter?
Then challenge it: what is a plausible alternative principle, user condition, trade-off or limitation?
3. Quick evidence scan — a menu, not a checklist
Test only what your interface makes available. Write a short observation, “not available”, or “could not test”. You do not need to turn every row into an argument.
Captions / subtitles
Availability, accuracy, timing, speakers, meaningful sound cues.
Colour / contrast
Text, focus, warnings, selected states, colour-only meaning.
Remappable controls
Can inputs change? Do prompts update after the change?
Input alternatives
Can the full task be completed through another workable input route?
Readable scaling
At larger text or interface scale, what wraps, clips, overlaps or remains usable?
Audio / visual cues
Does essential meaning carried by one channel have a useful equivalent?
Difficulty / accessibility options
What does the setting actually change for this user's task?
Something else you noticed
Record an observable interface decision that matters more than the menu above.
4. Precision practice: four ambiguous interfaces
For each case, choose the most precise principle for the claim you want to make. Name a plausible second lens or limitation. More than one answer may be defensible, but only with specific reasoning.
This drawing app has a high-contrast theme. The active tool is shown only by a blue rather than teal outline, and the toolbar icons have no visible text labels.
Most precise principle and evidence
User/task effect and purpose
Second lens or limitation
This racing game's controls can be remapped. After a player changes them, tutorial prompts and button hints continue to show the original buttons.
Most precise principle and evidence
User/task effect and purpose
Second lens or limitation
This learning app offers 200% text size. At that size, the Continue button overlaps the progress control and cannot be selected on a small screen.
Most precise principle and evidence
User/task effect and purpose
Second lens or limitation
5. Deep evidence record 1
Observable feature
Describe exactly what you opened, changed, compared or saw happen.
User and task
Who is trying to do what? Include only conditions relevant to this evidence.
Most precise usability principle
Name it, then explain why it is more precise than one plausible alternative.
Effect on usability
What changes in access, effort, errors, efficiency, learning, control or satisfaction?
Effect on interface purpose
How does that consequence help or hinder what the interface exists to do?
Counterargument, trade-off or limitation
State the strongest reasonable challenge to your claim. Do not erase your evidence; qualify it.
6. Deep evidence record 2
Observable feature
Describe exactly what you opened, changed, compared or saw happen.
User and task
Who is trying to do what? Include only conditions relevant to this evidence.
Most precise usability principle
Name it, then explain why it is more precise than one plausible alternative.
Effect on usability
What changes in access, effort, errors, efficiency, learning, control or satisfaction?
Effect on interface purpose
How does that consequence help or hinder what the interface exists to do?
Counterargument, trade-off or limitation
State the strongest reasonable challenge to your claim. Do not erase your evidence; qualify it.
7. Peer challenge and final judgement
Give your partner one deep evidence record. Your partner challenges the reasoning, not the person or their interface choice.
Partner's challenge
Offer a different principle, user condition, trade-off or limitation.
My response
Circle: REVISE / DEFEND. Record the evidence that changes or strengthens your claim.
Final judgement
Overall, how significant is your strongest feature for your chosen user, task and interface purpose? Include one limitation in the same judgement.
Exit check
Evidence
I described interface behaviour that another person could observe or reproduce.
Precision
I justified my strongest principle against a plausible alternative.
Relationship
I named a user and task, then explained a specific usability effect.
Purpose and limitation
I reached the interface purpose and qualified my judgement honestly.