Heuristic Analysis

What is it

A quick and simple way to find common usability problems on a website, app, or online system.

Why this method

Identify common design problems without getting into in-depth user research.

How to use

  1. Recruit a group of 3-5 usability experts who are familiar with evaluation methods. They don’t need to be UX specialists or designers, but should familiarise themselves with usability best practices beforehand.
  2. Have each person create a list of ‘heuristics’ or these best practices with this product in mind. A couple of examples from Nielson’s “10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design” include:
    • The website should keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
    • The system should speak the user’s language, with words, phrases, and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms.
  3. Ask each person in the group to evaluate the product against their list and write down possible issues.
  4. After everyone has finished, discuss what was found and then prioritize the issues to fix.

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