Evaluation and evidence · Source reviewed; not hands-on tested
Usability heuristic review
Inspect interface problems against established usability principles before testing with users.
When this is useful
You need a structured decision rather than a universal marketing formula.
Required inputs
Walk one task and note system feedback, language, control, consistency, errors, recognition and recovery.
Worked example — fictional
Fictional: a signup validation message says invalid input without explaining the format. Record that concrete recovery problem and test the revised wording.
Original worksheet
Download our evidence worksheet; upstream diagrams and proprietary templates are not redistributed.
Put it to work
- Define the decision and gather the stated inputs.
- Apply the method while retaining uncertainty and contrary evidence.
- Choose a next observation and write the conditions for revisiting the decision.
Limits and tradeoffs
Reviewer judgments identify potential problems; they do not measure user success or conversion effects.
Worksheet preview
# Usability heuristic review: original decision worksheet Attribution: Jon Bishop. CC BY 4.0. Framework source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/ This is an original worksheet, not a copy of the source artifact. ## Decision What decision must this exercise inform? Who owns it? What evidence would change it? ## Inputs Walk one task and note system feedback, language, control, consistency, errors, recognition and recovery. For each input, record: observation | source | date | affected population | confidence | unresolved question. ## Application 1. Define one concrete decision and comparison period. 2. Record evidence separately from estimates. 3. Apply the method and inspect the assumptions that drive the result. 4. State the next observation or test and its decision rule. ## Worked example — fictional Fictional: a signup validation message says invalid input without explaining the format. Record that concrete recovery problem and test the revised wording. ## Limits Reviewer judgments identify potential problems; they do not measure user success or conversion effects. ## Output Decision: ___ Evidence supporting it: ___ Contradictory or missing evidence: ___ Next action and owner: ___ Revisit when: ___