https://youtu.be/6Bw0n6Jvwxk

Heuristic evaluation is a process where experts use rules of thumb to measure the usability of user interfaces in independent walkthroughs and report issues. Evaluators use established heuristics (e.g., Nielsen-Molich’s) and reveal insights that can help design teams enhance product usability from early in development.

Heuristic evaluation is a crucial aspect of user experience design that involves assessing the usability of a product or service based on a set of predetermined principles. This evaluation method relies on the knowledge and experience of experts in the field to identify potential usability issues and recommend improvements.

By leveraging heuristic evaluation, designers can gain valuable insights into user behavior and preferences, ultimately resulting in a more user-friendly and effective product or service. So, if you want to enhance your design process and create products that users will love, heuristic evaluation is definitely worth exploring.

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Heuristic Evaluation: Ten commandments for helpful expert analysis

In 1990, web usability pioneers Jakob Nielsen and Rolf Molich published the landmark article “Improving a Human-Computer Dialogue”. It contained a set of principles—or heuristics—which industry specialists soon began to adopt to assess interfaces in human-computer interaction.

A heuristic is a fast and practical way to solve problems or make decisions. In user experience (UX) design, professional evaluators use heuristic evaluation to systematically determine a design’s/product’s usability. As experts, they go through a checklist of criteria to find flaws that design teams overlooked.

The Nielsen-Molich heuristics state that a system should:

  1. Keep users informed about its status appropriately and promptly.
  2. Show information in ways users understand how the real world operates, and in the users’ language.
  3. Offer users control and let them undo errors easily.
  4. Be consistent so users aren’t confused over what different words, icons, etc. mean.
  5. Prevent errors – a system should either avoid conditions where errors arise or warn users before they take risky actions (e.g., “Are you sure you want to do this?” messages).
  6. Have visible information, instructions, etc. to let users recognize options, actions, etc. instead of forcing them to rely on memory.
  7. Be flexible so experienced users find faster ways to attain goals.
  8. Have no clutter, containing only relevant information for current tasks.
  9. Provide plain-language help regarding errors and solutions.
  10. List concise steps in lean, searchable documentation for overcoming problems.