What is a heuristic review?
In broad terms, a ‘heuristic’ is a problem solving technique. A rule of thumb. A map of a tricky landscape that can be unfolded, smoothed out and followed with a finger to guide us from point A to point B.
In ux terms, heuristics are a measurement device. The heuristic review (commonly called a ‘usability review’) is the means by which we can grade the successes and short-falls of our experience against a set of best-practice guidelines and determine where change might be most beneficial.
By identifying which guidelines of good ux are met and which are not, we can pinpoint how conversion and satisfaction can be improved.
How are best-practices defined?
User Experience as we know it was born in the 1960’s with the rise of cognitive science and the study of HCI (human-computer interaction). It emerged with force in the 90’s however, when cognitive psychologist Donald Norman joined Apple. From there, UX evolved into the practice we recognize today as the core of good design.
“Design is not just what it looks and feels like.
Design is how it works.
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A “best-practice” is mutable. It shifts with the landscape. In the era of personal computers and the emergence of the internet, we began to establish guidelines that we use today. But, of course, these guidelines change over time to account for shifting platforms, screen sizes, and user expectations.
The set of guidelines we measure against today may bear little resemblance to those early rules, but they are grounded in the same principles.
How do we measure usability today?
The OPEN usability evaluation breaks your ecommerce channels down into 9 key areas: Global, Category/Browse, Search, Product Page, Cart&Checkout, Transactional Email, Stores, Customer Service and Mobile.
In all, we grade your usability against the 500+ best-practices for ecommerce ux - combining the guidelines of leading field experts and our proprietary benchmarks gleaned over 15 years working inside some of Canada’s largest ecomm brands.
The report delivers a comprehensive view of your usability rating by section and the detailed recommendations within each allowing you to focus your product design team on your greatest improvement potential.
Top 5 reasons to conduct a usability review:
Identify the gaps in your usability - so you can improve conversion and satisfaction scores.
Identify the strengths in your experience - so you can protect those aspects of your funnel.
To understand the strengths and weakness of your competitors’ experience.
To ensure that each of your digital channels is optimized.
Prioritize your product roadmap and get your product team focused on the areas of greatest potential.
Are you interested in having your site reviewed against our 500+ checkpoints? Contact OPEN today!
“The best-designed products and services result from understanding the needs of the people who will use them.”