UX audit — is it worth doing?

‍Expert UX audit is an analysis of, for example, the interface of a mobile application or a website, performed by a specialist who assesses the compliance of the project with the rules and best practices in the industry.

When assessing the usefulness of a product, the investigator often relies on 10 Heuristics by Jakob Nielsen — Danish usability expert, recognized as the father of UX. These principles cover fundamental issues such as interface consistency or adaptation to reality, digital and offline. All in order to improve the user experience.

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🎙️ Do you want to conduct an expert audit yourself? Listen to our podcast

[🇬🇧 Sorry, this podcast is being hosted in Polish]
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👉 Self-made audit recipe - Audit - part. AND
👉 The second part of the audit conversation Audit - part. IL

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Can you imagine that on the basis of Task Success Rate, one button was changed to reach $300 million in profit? This is the situation experienced by Amazon, changing the window that appears when you click on the purchase cart. Originally the next step was Log in or Register. But Amazon has discovered that we don't like being forced to sign up for an account. Instead, he offered another option: buying as a guest. Boom! Sales jumped up nicely. Today, the option to buy as a guest is a standard in e-commerce that no one should forget, and user observation has become the best possible business practice.

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Why is the audit not enough?

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The audit (which is a verification and evaluation of utility) should not be treated as an independent and targeted action, since it usually only reveals superficial layers of problems.

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Without further steps, it can lead to the implementation of recommendations that will not bring significant changes to the product.

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In order for the audit to be effective, should be part of a broader iterative process, which takes into account:

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• testing,
• analysis of results,
• continuous improvement.

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In short: an audit is a prelude to further design, not a goal in itself.

It is also worth comparing the results of the audit with the business assumptions. If the scale of the problems is large, priorities should be established, determining what can be improved quickly and what requires a more complex and longer process.

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The user's perspective — the key to success

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It is crucial to understand how users perceive the elements of the interface.

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Example: The audit may suggest changing the color of the button for better visibility. But what color to choose - intense to attract attention or subdued to harmonize with the rest of the site? It is the tests with users that will show what works best. Simple changes (such as color) can be determined by quantitative research, while for more complex issues it is worth conducting qualitative research, presenting the new design to users.

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The role of the designer

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The role of the designer is equally important. An audit is a set of data that must be properly interpreted, like a sheet music — only in the hands of a professional can it sound properly. The designer understands the dependencies in the interface and can accurately predict the effectiveness of changes.

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Example: the audit showed complicated navigation, but the designer, working with users, determined that the problem was not the layout, but the wrong naming, too many menu items and illogical grouping.

Complexity of the project and the UX audit

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The audit works well for the design of simple e-commerce websites and news websites, but in the case of complex B2B services or SaaS solutions, it is not enough. As stated above, it is crucial to understand how the audience actually uses the product.

Example: software for company Y. The audit showed an excess of information and suggested simplifications. However, this turned out to be confusing because Y specialists need this data to do their job effectively.

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Smart connection

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Only the combination of the results of the audit, the designer's knowledge and the user's perspective guarantees that the recommendations will correspond to real needs and expectations. UX audit, especially expert, brings full value and concrete effects only as part of the broader design process.

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Check out our audit offer for digital products, tailored to the challenges you face and your budget

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Today, you can take the first step towards changing your business. Talk to our expertswho will be happy to answer your questions. No strings attached!

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