Guide into UX Audit
4 min read

Websites, mobile applications, multifunctional platforms - all of them are made up of many elements, user paths, and opportunities for your customers. Of course, you've heard of a “user-friendly” interface, but what does it mean? How can you tell if your product is user-friendly? What exactly do you need to change to make it as user-friendly as possible? Quality Geek has prepared a short guide to UX audit that will allow you to quickly understand for whom, why, and, most importantly, HOW we conduct this design activity. So, let's get started!

What Is UX Audit and Who Needs It?

What is it?

UX audit is an analysis of the interface to identify problem areas that reduce conversion and develop hypotheses for their improvement.

Why is a UX audit necessary even for existing solutions on the market?

It's simple: when you have a product and notice that users leave at a certain stage - for example, they don't complete a purchase, don't book an appointment, often contact customer support due to unclear processes, or are dissatisfied with the conversion - it's a sign that you need to conduct a UX audit. Thanks to this activity, we can find the problem(s) and propose hypotheses for a solution.

For whom?

UX audit is necessary for products that:

  • Have a low conversion rate or a high bounce rate;
  • Make users complain about the complexity of navigation or inconvenience of functionality;
  • Need to be adapted for a new audience or market;
  • Will be updated or redesigned in the future;
  • Launch for the first time, and you want to make sure they are user-friendly before entering the market;
  • Require process optimization to increase user satisfaction.
  • Need increased customer loyalty and improved business results.

How to Conduct a UX Audit


Briefly and to the point:

  • Familiarization with the product.
  • Evaluation of the interface for elements (such as error messages, tips for users, etc.), states. Evaluation by Nielsen heuristics.
  • Systematization and formalization of problematic issues into a presentation.
  • Description of recommendations and search for references for better understanding.
  • Presenting to the client, prioritizing and discussing the next possible steps (such as redesigning individual elements, screens, or flows).

And here is more detail:

At Quality Geek UX, we start the audit with a kick-off call with the client to get a deeper understanding of their product and hear their thoughts on user pain points. After that, we get to know the website, app, or platform, working through all the user paths.

We evaluate the interface not by random indicators but by specific standards that have a 100% impact on the user experience. These are the standards that Jakob Nielsen identified: 

  • System state visibility;
  • Control and freedom of users;
  • Combining the system and the real world;
  • Consistency and standards;
  • Prevention of errors;
  • Flexibility and efficiency of use;
  • Aesthetic and minimalist design;
  • Identification and diagnosis of errors;
  • Help and documentation.

We analyze every interaction with the product, checking for the necessary interface elements, which we then structure in the form of a presentation. To help our clients better understand our assumptions, we include an initial screenshot with key details highlighted:

  • Red for problems;
  • Green for recommendations;
  • Yellow for questions.

Each problem is highlighted in a separate paragraph and marked on the corresponding screenshot (see the figure). Of course, we also use Nielsen's heuristics to evaluate the problem, but we'll discuss that later.

Describing the problems is not enough because how will the client know what to do with them or how to solve them? That's why the next step is to describe the recommendations and look for references to understand them better. We follow the principle that each problem should have a solution. In the presentation, we add slides with examples and solutions, which are also labeled according to the problem identified earlier (see the figure).

In general, a UX audit is a comprehensive activity that includes a fairly detailed work with an existing product and its validation with design principles, heuristics, and logic.

Conclusion

UX audit is a great solution for identifying imperfections (and sometimes huge problems) in the interface that reduce conversion or any user interaction with your product. That's why we, as experts in comprehensive UX audits, recommend starting with implementing small improvements suggested during a UX audit rather than waiting for a complete redesign and redevelopment of everything. Your users will notice such changes faster, will be able to immediately evaluate the convenience of the updated interface, and you will see an increase in conversion. Conducting an audit before large-scale changes will also help you identify problems and avoid repeating them in the new design.

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