Heuristic Analysis Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Heuristic Analysis: A process that every website should perform.
• Applicable at any stage: starting, live, new product launch, etc.
• Useful when resources are limited.

What is Heuristic Evaluation?

• Purpose: Discover usability problems in applications or websites.
• Method: 3-5 experts evaluate against set principles and heuristics.
• Goals: Uncover opportunities, find obstacles, and prioritize optimizations.
• When to Run: At any stage, from sketches to full-blown sites.

Purpose

1. Discovering usability issues.
2. Uncovering hidden opportunities.
3. Identifying and fixing key obstacles/roadblocks.
4. Prioritizing optimization tasks.

Pros and Cons of Heuristic Analysis

Pros

• Limited budget: Only need 3-5 UX experts.
• Quick: Can be done within a few hours.
• Pre-launch testing: Identify issues before launch.
• Repeatable process: Easily redo for different stages of the user journey.
• Ideal for low-traffic sites: Fast tracking without the need for extensive AB testing.

Cons

• Cognitive biases: Personal opinions/emotions may influence results.
• Requires experts: Need skilled UI/UX experts.
• Lack of user involvement: Done privately without real user feedback.
• Not standalone: Should be combined with other research methods.

Conducting a Heuristic Analysis

Common Principles

• Jacob Nelson’s 10 Usability Principles:
  1. Visibility: Keep users informed about their status.
  2. Mapping: Use audience's language.
  3. Freedom: Provide options to undo actions.
  4. Consistency: Use the same interface layout on all pages.
  5. Error Prevention: Help users avoid mistakes.
  6. Recognition: Minimize cognitive load with clear instructions.
  7. Flexibility: Easy tasks for both novice and experienced users.
  8. Minimalism: Provide necessary information elegantly.
  9. Error Recovery: Help users recover from errors.
  10. Help & Documentation: Accessible information for tasks.

Practical Steps

1. Set Goals: Clarity, Relevance, Remove Friction, Remove Distractions.
2. Questions to Evaluate Pages:
   • Clarity: Can people understand within 5 seconds?
   • Relevance: Does the information match user expectations?
   • Friction: Any unnecessary steps or usability issues?
   • Distractions: Any elements that don’t contribute to goal achievement?

Evaluating Aspects

• Functionality: Navigation, consistency, mobile usability.
• Content: Effective, efficient, persuasive language.
• Design/Layout: Clear and intuitive design, readability, consistency.
• Conversion Points: Clear CTAs, post-conversion communication.

Prioritizing Issues

• Severity Scale: 1-4

  1. Minor/cosmetic changes.
  2. Low priority fixes.
  3. High priority fixes.
  4. Catastrophic issues needing immediate attention.

• Grading Based on:

  • Impact on users and revenue.
  • How common the issue is.
  • Resources needed to fix (time, money, team).

Presentation & Summarizing Findings

1. Process Reviewed: How it was conducted.
2. List of Heuristics Used: Principles evaluated.
3. Major Problems Identified: Highlight key issues.
4. Numbers & Impact: Validate with data.
5. Prioritization & Solutions: What to do next, proposed solutions.

Final Thoughts

• Heuristic analysis is about asking the right questions for each page.
• Combine findings with other research data.
• Regularly repeat and refine the process.
• Upcoming: Workshop on Heat Maps.

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Keep these notes as a reference for future heuristic analyses, ensuring you follow best practices and optimize effectively.