Heuristic Evaluation

Conduct expert usability reviews using established heuristics and evaluation frameworks.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Heuristic Evaluation tasks - Working on conduct heuristic evaluations - nielsen's 10 heuristics, severity ratings, expert review methodology, cognitive walkthrough, and usability inspection
• Planning or design - Need guidance on Heuristic Evaluation approaches
• Best practices - Want to follow established patterns and standards

MANDATORY: Skill Loading First

Before answering ANY heuristic evaluation question:

2. Use Nielsen Norman Group and established UX methodology
3. Base all guidance on validated evaluation practices

Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics

1. Visibility of System Status

The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.

Check for:

• Loading indicators during operations
• Progress bars for multi-step processes
• Status messages after actions
• Real-time validation feedback
• Clear indication of current state

Examples:

Good	Bad
Spinner during form submission	Page freezes with no feedback
"3 of 5 steps complete"	Multi-step form with no progress
"Saved successfully" toast	Silent save with no confirmation

2. Match Between System and Real World

The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases, and concepts familiar to the user.

Check for:

• Plain language, not jargon
• Familiar metaphors and icons
• Logical information order
• Cultural appropriateness
• Domain-appropriate terminology

Examples:

Good	Bad
"Save" button	"Persist to datastore"
Shopping cart icon	Abstract database icon
"Your order"	"Transaction #38291"

3. User Control and Freedom

Users often choose system functions by mistake and need a clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted state.

Check for:

• Undo/redo functionality
• Cancel buttons in workflows
• Easy navigation back
• Exit from modal dialogs
• Esc key support

Examples:

Good	Bad
Undo after delete	Immediate permanent deletion
"Cancel" in forms	Only "Submit" available
X to close modal	Click outside only

4. Consistency and Standards

Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing.

Check for:

• Consistent terminology
• Uniform visual design
• Standard interaction patterns
• Platform conventions
• Predictable layouts

Examples:

Good	Bad
All buttons look like buttons	Inconsistent button styles
Same action, same location	"Save" in different places
Standard icons (gear = settings)	Custom icons without labels

5. Error Prevention

Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring.

Check for:

• Confirmation for destructive actions
• Input constraints/validation
• Default safe options
• Clear disabled states
• Contextual help

Examples:

Good	Bad
"Are you sure you want to delete?"	Immediate delete on click
Date picker (not free text)	Ambiguous date format entry
Grayed out unavailable options	Error after selection

6. Recognition Rather Than Recall

Minimize the user's memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible.

Check for:

• Visible options/menus
• Recently used items
• Autocomplete/suggestions
• Clear labels
• Contextual information

Examples:

Good	Bad
Dropdown with options	Must type exact value
"Recent searches"	Empty search box
Labels on form fields	Placeholder-only inputs

7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

Accelerators—unseen by the novice user—may often speed up the interaction for the expert user.

Check for:

• Keyboard shortcuts
• Customization options
• Power user features
• Batch operations
• Quick actions

Examples:

Good	Bad
Ctrl+S to save	Must click menu > Save
Drag-and-drop + click	Drag-and-drop only
"Select all" checkbox	Must select items one by one

8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design

Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed.

Check for:

• Clean, uncluttered interface
• Progressive disclosure
• Essential information first
• Appropriate whitespace
• Clear visual hierarchy

Examples:

Good	Bad
Key info prominent	Wall of text
"Show more" for details	Everything visible at once
Clean forms	50-field forms on one page

9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors

Error messages should be expressed in plain language, precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.

Check for:

• Plain language errors
• Specific problem identification
• Constructive solutions
• Clear next steps
• Error location indication

Examples:

Good	Bad
"Email format invalid. Example: name@example.com"	"Invalid input"
Error shown next to field	All errors at top of page
"Try again" or "Contact support"	Just an error message

10. Help and Documentation

Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation.

Check for:

• Contextual help
• Searchable documentation
• Task-focused help
• Tooltips for complex features
• Onboarding for new users

Examples:

Good	Bad
Tooltip on hover	No explanation for icons
Inline help text	Separate help document only
"What's this?" links	Users must figure it out

Severity Ratings

4-Point Severity Scale

Rating	Severity	Definition	Action
0	Not a problem	I don't agree this is a usability problem	None needed
1	Cosmetic	Cosmetic problem only; fix if time	Low priority
2	Minor	Minor usability problem; fix low priority	Medium priority
3	Major	Major usability problem; important to fix	High priority
4	Catastrophic	Usability catastrophe; must fix before release	Critical/blocker

Severity Calculation

Consider three factors:

Factor	Question	Levels
Frequency	How often does the problem occur?	Rare / Occasional / Frequent
Impact	How serious when it occurs?	Low / Medium / High
Persistence	Can users overcome it easily?	Easy / Moderate / Difficult

public class SeverityAssessment
{
    public required Frequency Frequency { get; init; }
    public required Impact Impact { get; init; }
    public required Persistence Persistence { get; init; }

    public Severity CalculatedSeverity => (Frequency, Impact, Persistence) switch
    {
        (Frequency.Frequent, Impact.High, Persistence.Difficult) => Severity.Catastrophic,
        (Frequency.Frequent, Impact.High, _) => Severity.Major,
        (_, Impact.High, Persistence.Difficult) => Severity.Major,
        (Frequency.Frequent, Impact.Medium, _) => Severity.Major,
        (Frequency.Occasional, Impact.Medium, _) => Severity.Minor,
        (Frequency.Rare, Impact.Low, _) => Severity.Cosmetic,
        _ => Severity.Minor
    };
}

public enum Frequency { Rare, Occasional, Frequent }
public enum Impact { Low, Medium, High }
public enum Persistence { Easy, Moderate, Difficult }
public enum Severity { Cosmetic = 1, Minor = 2, Major = 3, Catastrophic = 4 }

Evaluation Process

Step 1: Planning

## Heuristic Evaluation Plan

**Product/Feature:** [Name]
**Evaluators:** [List 3-5 evaluators]
**Heuristics:** Nielsen's 10 (or custom set)
**Scope:** [Pages/flows to evaluate]
**Timeline:** [Dates]

### Evaluation Sessions
| Evaluator | Session 1 | Session 2 |
|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| [Name 1] | [Date/Time] | [Date/Time] |
| [Name 2] | [Date/Time] | [Date/Time] |

### Materials
- [ ] Heuristics reference sheet
- [ ] Issue logging template
- [ ] Access to product/prototype
- [ ] Screen recording (optional)

Step 2: Individual Evaluation

Each evaluator reviews independently:

1. First pass - Explore freely, note initial impressions
2. Second pass - Systematic review against each heuristic
3. Document issues - Log each problem found

Step 3: Issue Logging

public class HeuristicIssue
{
    public Guid Id { get; init; }
    public required string Location { get; init; }
    public required string Description { get; init; }
    public required int HeuristicNumber { get; init; }
    public required string HeuristicName { get; init; }
    public required Severity Severity { get; init; }
    public string? Screenshot { get; init; }
    public string? Recommendation { get; init; }
    public Guid EvaluatorId { get; init; }
}

Issue Template

## Issue: [Short Title]

**Location:** [Page/screen/component]
**Heuristic:** #[N] - [Heuristic Name]
**Severity:** [0-4]

### Description
[What is the problem?]

### Evidence
[Screenshot or description of what user sees]

### Impact
[How does this affect users?]

### Recommendation
[Suggested fix]

Step 4: Consolidation

Merge findings from all evaluators:

1. Remove duplicates
2. Aggregate severity ratings
3. Group by heuristic or location
4. Prioritize for remediation

public class ConsolidatedIssue
{
    public Guid Id { get; init; }
    public required string Location { get; init; }
    public required string Description { get; init; }
    public required int HeuristicNumber { get; init; }
    public required List<Severity> IndividualRatings { get; init; }
    public Severity AverageSeverity =>
        (Severity)Math.Round(IndividualRatings.Average(s => (int)s));
    public int EvaluatorCount => IndividualRatings.Count;
    public required string Recommendation { get; init; }
}

Report Template

# Heuristic Evaluation Report

## Executive Summary

**Product:** [Name]
**Evaluation Date:** [Date]
**Evaluators:** [Names]
**Total Issues Found:** [N]

### Issues by Severity
| Severity | Count |
|----------|-------|
| Catastrophic (4) | [N] |
| Major (3) | [N] |
| Minor (2) | [N] |
| Cosmetic (1) | [N] |

### Issues by Heuristic
| Heuristic | Count |
|-----------|-------|
| #1 Visibility of System Status | [N] |
| #2 Match with Real World | [N] |
| ... | ... |

---

## Detailed Findings

### Catastrophic Issues

#### Issue 1: [Title]
- **Location:** [Where]
- **Heuristic:** #[N] - [Name]
- **Severity:** 4 (Catastrophic)
- **Evaluators:** [N]/[Total] identified

**Description:**
[Detailed description]

**Screenshot:**
[Image]

**Impact:**
[Effect on users]

**Recommendation:**
[How to fix]

---

[Continue for each issue, grouped by severity]

---

## Recommendations

### Immediate Action (Severity 4)
1. [Action item]
2. [Action item]

### High Priority (Severity 3)
1. [Action item]
2. [Action item]

### Medium Priority (Severity 2)
1. [Action item]

---

## Methodology

This evaluation followed Nielsen's heuristic evaluation methodology with [N] independent evaluators. Each evaluator conducted two passes through the interface, documenting issues against the 10 usability heuristics. Findings were consolidated and severity ratings averaged.

---

## Appendices

### A: Heuristics Reference
[Full heuristics definitions]

### B: Raw Findings by Evaluator
[Individual evaluator notes]

Cognitive Walkthrough

Alternative Inspection Method

Cognitive walkthrough focuses on learnability for new users completing specific tasks.

Walkthrough Questions

At each step of a task, ask:

1. Will the user try to achieve the right effect?

   • Is the goal obvious?
   • Does the user know what to do?

2. Will the user notice that the correct action is available?

   • Is the option visible?
   • Is it labeled understandably?

3. Will the user associate the correct action with the effect?

   • Does the label match expectation?
   • Is the mapping logical?

4. If the correct action is performed, will the user see progress?

   • Is feedback provided?
   • Does the system confirm success?

Walkthrough Template

## Cognitive Walkthrough: [Task Name]

**Task:** [What user is trying to accomplish]
**User Profile:** [Who is this user?]
**Starting Point:** [Where does the task begin?]

### Step 1: [Action]
| Question | Answer | Issue? |
|----------|--------|--------|
| Will user try to achieve right effect? | [Y/N/Maybe] | [Issue if no] |
| Will user notice correct action? | [Y/N/Maybe] | [Issue if no] |
| Will user associate action with effect? | [Y/N/Maybe] | [Issue if no] |
| Will user see progress? | [Y/N/Maybe] | [Issue if no] |

**Notes:** [Additional observations]

### Step 2: [Action]
[Continue pattern...]

---

## Summary

**Success Likelihood:** [High/Medium/Low]
**Key Barriers:**
1. [Barrier 1]
2. [Barrier 2]

**Recommendations:**
1. [Improvement 1]
2. [Improvement 2]

Extended Heuristics

Additional Heuristics (Beyond Nielsen's 10)

Heuristic	Description
Accessibility	Usable by people with disabilities
Privacy & Security	Users feel their data is safe
Personalization	Adapts to user preferences
Memorability	Easy to remember how to use
Satisfaction	Pleasant, enjoyable experience
Efficiency	Tasks completed with minimal effort
Learnability	Easy to learn for new users

Platform-Specific Heuristics

Mobile Heuristics

• Touch targets ≥44px
• Reachable with one hand
• Works offline
• Respects system settings
• Appropriate for context

Web Application Heuristics

• Fast load times
• Works across browsers
• Responsive design
• URL reflects state
• Bookmark/share support

Checklist: Heuristic Evaluation

Planning

• Scope defined (pages/flows)
• Evaluators identified (3-5)
• Heuristics selected
• Access to product arranged
• Schedule set

Evaluation

• First pass completed (exploration)
• Second pass completed (systematic)
• Issues logged with severity
• Screenshots captured
• Recommendations noted

Consolidation

• All evaluator findings collected
• Duplicates merged
• Severity ratings averaged
• Issues prioritized
• Report drafted

Reporting

• Executive summary written
• Issues documented with evidence
• Recommendations provided
• Methodology described
• Stakeholders briefed

Related Skills

• usability-testing - User-based evaluation
• accessibility-planning - Accessibility-specific review
• design-system-planning - Consistency evaluation
• user-research-planning - Research method selection