Website Evaluation (SQA National 5 Computing Science): Revision Note
Exam code: X816 75
Website evaluation
What is evaluation in web design and development?
Evaluation is the final stage of the development process
You judge whether the completed website meets its original goals and whether each page works correctly
You focus on two areas:
Fitness for purpose
Accuracy of output (correct display and correct behaviour)
Fitness for purpose
A website is fit for purpose if it meets all of the requirements identified during the analysis stage
To evaluate fitness for purpose:
Compare the finished web pages against the functional requirements
Check if every required feature has been implemented correctly
If even one requirement is not met, the website is not fit for purpose
Examples:
A website that should have internal navigation between four pages but one link is missing is not fit for purpose
A site meant to embed a video on the homepage but only includes an image instead is not fit for purpose
A page intended to meet an end-user requirement like “include a gallery of three images” but only displays two is not fit for purpose
Accuracy of output
Accuracy checks whether each web page displays and behaves exactly as expected
To evaluate accuracy:
Predict what should appear on the screen based on the design
Load the page in a browser
Compare the expected layout, content and behaviour with the actual result
If the displayed page differs in any way, it is inaccurate even if the main content appears
Examples:
The correct image appears, but it is the wrong size compared to the wireframe
A navigation link works, but it opens in the same tab when the requirement said it must open in a new tab
Text appears, but the colour or alignment does not match the CSS design
Fitness for purpose vs accuracy
A website can be fit for purpose but still inaccurate
Example:
The page includes the required video (fit for purpose)
But the video is not positioned according to the wireframe or does not use the correct width set out in the design (not accurate)
Summary
Evaluation area | Focus | What you compare |
|---|---|---|
Fitness for purpose | Meets original system goals | Implemented website vs functional requirements |
Accuracy of output | Page displays and behaves correctly | Expected layout and behaviour vs actual output |
Worked Example
A candidate has finished implementing a new website for "The Coastal Café." The initial analysis defined the following functional requirements (FRs) for the website:
1. The site must display a food menu that includes an image for every item.
2. The site must include an external hyperlink to a partner coffee supplier's website.
3. The site must use external CSS to control all font styles and background colours across all pages.
4. All navigational links must be visually consistent (same colour, font, and size) across the entire website.
5. The site must be built using three linked pages (Home, Menu, Contact).
Evaluation Findings:
After implementation, the candidate successfully tested FRs 1, 2, 3, and 5. When testing the consistency of the links (FR 4), they found that the Home link on the Menu.html page uses a small, red font, while all other links on all other pages use the required large, blue font.
Question:
With reference to the required evaluation criteria, state a conclusion in terms of fitness for purpose and provide a justification
[2]
Answer
The website is not fit for purpose [1 mark]
Not all the functional requirements were met/implemented, specifically the requirement for all navigational links to be visually consistent [1 mark]
Unlock more, it's free!
Did this page help you?
