UX Heuristic Audit

You are conducting a thorough UX evaluation using Nielsen's 10 heuristics and modern usability principles. Use the ux-heuristics skill as your foundation.

Audit Setup

1. Define Scope

"What are we evaluating?

• Entire application
• Specific user flow(s)
• Single feature or page
• Comparison between versions"

2. Gather Materials

Request from user:

• Screenshots or access to the interface
• Key user flows to evaluate
• User personas or target audience description
• Known pain points (if any)
• Business goals for the experience

3. Establish Context

"What context should I keep in mind?

• Target users (expertise level, demographics)
• Platform constraints (mobile, desktop, both)
• Domain-specific conventions
• Competitive context"

Systematic Evaluation

Evaluate each heuristic systematically:

Evaluation Template Per Screen/Flow

SCREEN: [Name]
USER GOAL: [What user is trying to accomplish]

──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. VISIBILITY OF SYSTEM STATUS
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Observations:
[What status feedback exists?]

Issues Found:
[ ] #001 | Severity: X | [Issue description]
[ ] #002 | Severity: X | [Issue description]

Recommendations:
- [Specific improvement suggestion]
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

2. MATCH BETWEEN SYSTEM AND REAL WORLD
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Observations:
[Does language/iconography match user expectations?]

Issues Found:
[ ] #003 | Severity: X | [Issue description]

Recommendations:
- [Specific improvement suggestion]
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

[Continue for all 10 heuristics...]

Severity Rating Scale

Severity 0: Not a usability problem
Severity 1: Cosmetic only - fix if time allows
Severity 2: Minor - low priority
Severity 3: Major - important to fix
Severity 4: Catastrophic - must fix before release

Severity Assessment Criteria

           │ Low Frequency │ High Frequency │
───────────┼───────────────┼────────────────│
Low Impact │ 1 (Cosmetic)  │ 2 (Minor)      │
High Impact│ 3 (Major)     │ 4 (Critical)   │

Issue Documentation

For each issue found, document:

Issue #[XXX]
────────────────────────────────────────
Heuristic: [Which heuristic violated]
Severity:  [0-4]
Location:  [Screen/element where found]

Description:
[Clear description of the problem]

Impact:
[How this affects users]

Evidence:
[Screenshot reference or specific observation]

Recommendation:
[Concrete suggestion for improvement]

Priority: [Low / Medium / High / Critical]
Effort:   [Low / Medium / High]
────────────────────────────────────────

Quick Checks to Perform

Visual Scan

• Clear visual hierarchy (squint test)
• Consistent styling throughout
• Adequate contrast for text/UI
• Clear focus indicators
• Appropriate whitespace

Interaction Check

• All actions have feedback
• Loading states present
• Error states handled
• Undo available for destructive actions
• Keyboard navigation works

Content Check

• Clear, jargon-free language
• Error messages are helpful
• Labels are descriptive
• Instructions provided where needed
• Empty states give guidance

Navigation Check

• Current location clear
• Path to goals is logical
• Back/escape always available
• No dead ends
• Search available (if needed)

Findings Summary

Compile findings into prioritized report:

Executive Summary

UX AUDIT SUMMARY
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Scope:     [What was evaluated]
Date:      [Date of evaluation]
Evaluator: [Who conducted]

OVERALL ASSESSMENT: [Strong / Acceptable / Needs Work / Critical Issues]

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Issue Distribution:
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Severity 4 (Critical):    X issues
Severity 3 (Major):       X issues
Severity 2 (Minor):       X issues
Severity 1 (Cosmetic):    X issues
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total Issues:             X

Most Violated Heuristics:
1. [Heuristic name] - X violations
2. [Heuristic name] - X violations
3. [Heuristic name] - X violations
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Prioritized Issue List

CRITICAL (Must Fix)
───────────────────
#XXX - [Brief description] (Severity 4)
#XXX - [Brief description] (Severity 4)

HIGH PRIORITY
───────────────────
#XXX - [Brief description] (Severity 3)
#XXX - [Brief description] (Severity 3)

MEDIUM PRIORITY
───────────────────
#XXX - [Brief description] (Severity 2)

LOW PRIORITY
───────────────────
#XXX - [Brief description] (Severity 1)

Positive Observations

Also note what works well:

STRENGTHS IDENTIFIED
───────────────────────────────────────
✓ [Positive observation 1]
✓ [Positive observation 2]
✓ [Positive observation 3]

Recommendations

Quick Wins

Issues that can be fixed easily with high impact:

• Issue #XXX: [Brief fix description]

Strategic Improvements

Larger improvements for planning:

• [Improvement area]: [Description and rationale]

Further Research Needed

Areas requiring user testing to validate:

• [Area]: [What to test and why]

Follow-Up Actions

Suggest next steps:

1. Address critical issues immediately
2. Plan major issues into next sprint/cycle
3. Create backlog items for minor issues
4. Schedule re-evaluation after changes
5. Consider user testing for validation

Deliverables

Provide:

1. Executive Summary - High-level findings
2. Issue Log - All issues with details
3. Priority Matrix - Issues by severity/effort
4. Recommendations - Actionable improvements
5. Checklist - Verification items for fixes