Heuristic Evaluation

Heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method where UX experts evaluate an interface against a set of recognized usability principles (heuristics) to identify usability problems.

Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics

The most widely used set, created by Jakob Nielsen:

1. Visibility of system status: Keep users informed
2. Match system and real world: Use familiar language
3. User control and freedom: Easy undo/redo
4. Consistency and standards: Follow conventions
5. Error prevention: Prevent problems before they occur
6. Recognition over recall: Make options visible
7. Flexibility and efficiency: Shortcuts for experts
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design: Remove irrelevant info
9. Help users recognize errors: Clear error messages
10. Help and documentation: Easy to search and understand

How It Works

Step 1 - Prepare

• Define scope (which pages/flows to evaluate)
• Gather 3-5 evaluators (experts)
• Create evaluation forms

Step 2 - Individual Reviews

• Each evaluator independently reviews interface
• Notes violations of heuristics
• Rates severity (cosmetic to catastrophic)

Step 3 - Debrief

• Team meets to discuss findings
• Consolidates duplicate issues
• Prioritizes problems by severity

Step 4 - Report & Fix

• Document all issues with screenshots
• Recommend solutions
• Track fixes

Why Use Heuristic Evaluation

Fast: Done in days, not weeks Cost-effective: No participant recruitment Early feedback: Before development is complete Expert insights: Catches technical issues Comprehensive: Covers entire interface Complements user testing: Different issues found

Severity Ratings

0 - Not a problem: No usability issue 1 - Cosmetic: Minor, fix if time permits 2 - Minor: Low priority, easy to overcome 3 - Major: Important to fix, causes problems 4 - Catastrophic: Must fix, blocks tasks

Heuristic Evaluation + Card Sorting

Use both for complete IA evaluation:

Heuristic Evaluation: Expert review

• Checks if IA follows best practices
• Identifies obvious navigation problems
• Quick expert assessment

Card Sorting: User validation

• Tests if users understand your categories
• Validates expert assumptions
• Real user mental models

Example: Heuristics say "use clear labels" (recognition over recall). Card sorting reveals which labels users actually understand.

Common Findings

Navigation issues:

• Unclear labels (violates "match system and real world")
• Inconsistent menu placement (violates "consistency")
• No breadcrumbs (violates "user control")

Content issues:

• Jargon users don't understand
• Important info buried
• Too much text

Interaction issues:

• Can't undo actions
• No confirmation for destructive actions
• Unclear what's clickable

Best Practices

✅ Use 3-5 evaluators: Finds 75%+ of issues ✅ Mix expertise levels: Different perspectives ✅ Evaluate twice: Individual then group ✅ Document everything: Screenshots + descriptions ✅ Prioritize ruthlessly: Focus on high-severity ✅ Validate with users: Experts miss some issues

Limitations

❌ Not users: Experts think differently ❌ Miss innovation: Follows existing patterns ❌ No task context: Doesn't test real workflows ❌ Subjective: Different experts find different issues ❌ No usage data: Doesn't show how people actually use it

When to Use

✅ Good for:

• Early in design process
• Redesigns of existing products
• Competitive analysis
• Quick feedback on prototypes
• Catching obvious problems

❌ Not ideal for:

• Understanding mental models (use card sorting)
• Testing specific tasks (use usability testing)
• Measuring performance (use analytics)
• Novel interfaces (no established heuristics)

Beyond Nielsen

Other heuristic sets exist:

Shneiderman's 8 Golden Rules Norman's Design Principles Gerhardt-Powals' Cognitive Engineering Principles

Choose based on your domain (mobile, enterprise, games, etc.)

Combine heuristic evaluation with card sorting for comprehensive IA testing at freecardsort.com