Chal 2

Heuristic Evaluation Checklist to Use On Your Website
The heuristic evaluation checklist is based on a list of common usability problems identified by Jakob
Nielsen, an expert in human-computer interaction. The purpose of this list is not to give you a specific
diagnosis for your website but rather to help you identify areas on which to focus when improving the
user experience.
To put it simply, the goal of this checklist is to help you identify problems with your site that can make it
difficult for users to find information, complete tasks, and use the site effectively.
Here are ten guidelines to follow when using the heuristic evaluation checklist:
1. Visibility of system status
Visibility of system status is an essential factor in any website evaluation. It refers to whether the user can
tell where they are, what has happened, and where they are going.
The following checklist will help you evaluate your site’s visibility of system status:
 Are there any error messages displayed?

 Do users know what they should do next?
 Do users know how far through the process they are?
2. Match between system and the real world
One of the essential aspects of heuristic evaluation is to match the system with the real world. This is
often referred to as “fit,” or how well you can match the system to what people actually do.
A system that does not match its real-world context will not be accepted by its users.
If you look at Microsoft Win10 OS, you will notice that the recycle bin icon has been adapted from the
real-world garbage bin design.
3. User control and freedom
We can all agree that the best user experience is one in which the user has a sense of control over what
they’re doing. If you have ever used an app or website that forced you to do things in a certain way or
limited your options, then you know how frustrating it can be.
Here are some common examples of situations where users lack control:
 Lack of Choice: Users don’t know what choices are available to them, so they don’t know how to
use the site effectively.
No Feedback: Without feedback, users can’t tell whether their actions are successful or not.
4. Consistency and standards
This heuristic evaluation checklist is used to evaluate the consistency and standards of a website. It helps
you ensure that the design, information, and behavior of your site are consistent.
Consistency and standards are important in evaluating a website. If the site is well-designed, it should be
consistent in its use of colors, fonts, graphics, layout, and content. The information on the homepage
should be similar to that on other pages, and navigation should be consistent throughout the site.
It’s important that your site is consistent in order to ease the navigation experience for users. This can be
done by using certain elements on every page of your site so that they know what to expect when they
click on any link or button within your site.
If a user clicks on an “About Us” link, then it should take them to an “About Us” page. If they click on a
“Contact Us” button, it should take them to a contact form where they can fill out their details and get in
touch with you directly from your website.
5. Error prevention
Error prevention checklist in heuristic evaluation will help you to find out if all the necessary information
is present on your website if there are any usability issues, etc.
For example, if the information that users need to complete a task is not shown clearly, they will make
mistakes more often than if the information was available.
If you want to test your website’s error prevention heuristic, you need to check if there are any problems
that prevent users from completing tasks without any errors.
6. Recognition rather than recall
Recognition rather than recall is a part of the heuristic evaluation checklist to use on your website. It is
the ability to recall a fact or idea without having to search for it. It is the opposite of deep learning, where
information is stored in long-term memory.
7. Flexibility and efficiency of
use Flexibility and efficiency of use are other parts of the heuristic evaluation checklist to use on your
website. It’s a way to see how easy it is for people to navigate your site, find what they’re looking for,
and perform actions. This category looks at the overall user experience and whether a visitor can
accomplish their goals with ease.
For example, software tools like Adobe Photoshop offer shortcut commands, such as commands for cut,
copy, and redo-undo are common.
But there are a few commands subjective to the software. However, with frequent use, you become
accustomed to them.
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
Aesthetic and minimalist design is an important aspect of website development that needs to be
considered right from the start rather than as an afterthought when it comes time for final testing with
users.
Aesthetics refers to the sensory perception of beauty – a theory of qualities based on the pleasure
experienced through the senses. Aesthetics is not simply about pleasing the senses.
It also involves a sense of balance and harmony in things, even if they are not necessarily natural.
Minimalist designs create a more subtle experience, allowing visitors to focus on the information they
need rather than being distracted by unnecessary elements.
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
A common problem with websites is that they do not provide a clear indication that
something has gone wrong. Users may be left wondering what has happened and how to
fix it.
Reduce cognitive load by only showing users errors when they need them. Remember
that users will close the tab if they cannot figure out what went wrong. Also, don’t make
them guess what went wrong – give them an error message that tells them exactly what
went wrong, with as much detail as possible.
10. Help and documentation
It’s important to have help and documentation available for your website because when people visit your
site, they may not know exactly what they’re looking for or how to navigate through your site.
If you don’t have any help or documentation on your site, then users will likely leave and not come back
because it’s too complicated for them. But if you do have help and documentation available, then users
will feel confident in their ability to find what they’re looking for and will be more likely to stay on your
site longer.

Chal 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chal 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chal 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Heuristic Evaluation Checklist to Use On Your Website

1. Visibility of system status

 Are there any error messages displayed?

 Do users know how far through the process they are?

2. Match between system and the real world

3. User control and freedom

4. Consistency and standards

6. Recognition rather than recall

7. Flexibility and efficiency of

8. Aesthetic and minimalist design

9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors

10. Help and documentation

You might also like