Heuristic Evaluation
A heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method where experts review an interface against established design principles.
Formalized by Jakob Nielsen and Rolf Molich, it uses broad rules of thumb (heuristics) to identify usability problems early in development without requiring live participant testing.
How it works
Evaluators examine interface workflows against the 10 classic heuristics, noting violations, severity ratings, and actionable fixes. Research shows that three to five expert evaluators uncover up to 85% of usability flaws.
When to use it
Conduct it early in the design cycle before user testing to clean up obvious usability bugs, saving user testing sessions for deeper behavioral questions.
Trade-offs
It is fast, cheap, and catches structural errors early, but it cannot replace actual user testing because expert designers cannot fully predict real customer behavior.
Key takeaways
- Fast, cost-effective method to find usability flaws before launch.
- A small panel of three to five evaluators catches the vast majority of issues.
- Complements live user testing rather than replacing it.
Learn this
Lessons and exercises mapped to this concept.
Common questions
- How does a heuristic evaluation differ from usability testing?
- A heuristic evaluation is done by design experts inspecting screens against established checklists, while usability testing observes real users attempting actual tasks.