This form examines problems associated with goals and focuses on identifying where and when the user will try to do the wrong thing. Therefore the cognitive walkthrough (CW) attempts to identify where in the user interface (UI) the user will experience the goal problems listed below. The designer can then take the information provided from this form as well as the other forms and use it to modify the interface to allow for the development of proper goals. In general, the CW analysts look for whether the "correct" goals are likely to be formed, or whether some users may not have formed them, or may have discarded them prematurely.
Modified from Polson et al. (1992) and Preece et al. (1994):
2.1 Correct goals. All the correct goals must be outlined for this point in the interaction. This allows the evaluators to determine what the user's goal structure should look like and determine where there may be problems in the UI. All goals required for this step in the interaction must be specified, do not assume the user has any goals in the existing goal structure.
2.2 Mismatch with likely goals. Compare the goal structure outlined in 2.1 above with the goal structure from the previous form (or in the case of the first task, with the presumed initial goal structure of the user). For each of the questions below, consider;
1) the current system state
2) system response to previous action
3) users goals and expectations in performing the previous action
A. Failure to add goals. If the structure outlined in 2.1 above contains new goals, is there a clear indication to the user that these goals should be added to their goal structure?
B. Failure to drop goals. If the structure outlined in 2.1 above contains goals that must be dropped, is there a clear indication to the user that these goals should be dropped?
C. Addition of spurious goals. Does the system response suggest that any extra goals to the user are required when they are not?
D. No progress impasse. Does the system response suggest that some progress has been made towards a higher goal? This response can be in either an insignificant response or an inappropriate response.
E. Premature loss of goals. Does the system response suggest that a goal be dropped even though it is still needed?
F. Supergoal kill off. Is there a subgoal that has just been completed but that is in an "and then" structure whose supergoal is similar to the completed subgoal?