CREATIVE FOR COMMERCE

Creative forcommerce

Usability audit

UX designer, who prepare usability audit, should know branch, business goals and exact target of website. In that way he can assume the role of user.

/ Usability expert in user role

How UX designer should prepare audit? There isn't single, universal method to do it. In Ideacto we make audit based on UX heuristic and we separate errors on three categories: minor, major and fatal error.

/ Categories of errors

/ Minor errors

Minor errors - that errors can reduce user satisfaction, but it should not make strong irritation in users.

For example, small images on website that you can not zoom in.

There is a small picture that you can’t enlarge. But it is

not the most important part of this webpage (in that

context) so it's not the fatal error. >

/ Major errors

Major errors can very strong reduce user satisfaction, and even (when appears very often) make that user fails to reach the goals.

For example, different colours of call to action buttons, not good gradation of buttons size.

„Add to basket” buttons have the same size and

colours like "Extra warranty". User do not know

what should do. >

/ Fatal errors

Fatal errors can make strong irritation in user and also can do that user fails to reach the goals.

For example, completely delete data in form on reload.

\

"Next article" button is less visible than "advert" button. It makes strong irritation in

user. >

In Ideacto we make audit based on UX heuristic - mainly based on Jacob Nielsen usability heuristic for user interface designer

/ Usability heuristic

1. Visibility of system status2. Match between system and the

real world3. User control and freedom4. Consistency and standards5. Error prevention

2. Recognition rather than recall3. Flexibility and efficiency of use4. Aesthetic and minimalist design5. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors6. Help and documentation

You can read more about Nielsen usability heuritic on http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/

The other method to check usability is cognitive walkthrough. In this method UX expert will "walk" through user flow and he'll assume the role of user.

/ Usability audit vs cognitive walkthrough

/ Usability audit - advantages & disadvantages

it's quite cheap method of checking usability

expert can check much more than normally user - for example some of technology cases (RWD, copy)

+

expert is not the real user

expert may be too much accurate and detailed

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