Heuristic Evaluation Template
Review a product against Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics. Log each issue, rate it from 0 to 4, and get a ranked list to share.
The 10 heuristics are from Jakob Nielsen and Nielsen Norman Group. The severity scale is Nielsen's 0 to 4.
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Heuristics checklist
- Does the product always show what it is doing, and what just happened?
- Does it use words and ideas people already know, in a natural order?
- Can people back out, undo or cancel without a penalty?
- Do the same things look and behave the same, and match what people expect elsewhere?
- Does the design stop mistakes happening, or ask first when they are costly?
- Is everything needed in view, so people never have to remember it?
- Are there shortcuts for experts that do not get in the way of beginners?
- Is every bit of content earning its place, or is noise hiding what matters?
- Are error messages plain, specific and clear about how to fix the problem?
- If help is needed, is it easy to find, short and task-focused?
Heuristic evaluation: Untitled product
Against Jakob Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics. Severity: 0 not a problem, 1 cosmetic, 2 minor, 3 major, 4 catastrophe. 0 issues; 0 of 10 heuristics reviewed.
| Heuristic | Issues | Worst severity |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Visibility of system status | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 2. Match between system and the real world | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 3. User control and freedom | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 4. Consistency and standards | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 5. Error prevention | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 6. Recognition rather than recall | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 7. Flexibility and efficiency of use | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 8. Aesthetic and minimalist design | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors | 0 | Not reviewed |
| 10. Help and documentation | 0 | Not reviewed |
Prioritised issues
Printed from myuxacademy.com/tools/heuristic-evaluation/
Frequently asked questions
What is a heuristic evaluation?
It's an expert review of a product against a set of usability rules of thumb, called heuristics. You go through the interface, note anywhere it breaks one of the rules, and rate how serious each problem is. The most used set is Jakob Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics. It needs no participants, so it's quick and cheap, but it shows you where problems are likely to be, not how real people behave.
How many evaluators do I need?
One person will find some problems, but a single evaluator misses a lot. Nielsen's research suggests three to five evaluators working on their own find most of the problems, and each extra person adds less. Have everyone review separately first, then merge the lists and agree the severity ratings together. If you're working alone, say so in your report and leave a day between passes.
What does the 0 to 4 severity scale mean?
It's Nielsen's scale. 0 means you looked and it isn't a problem. 1 is cosmetic: fix it only if there's time. 2 is minor, so low priority. 3 is major, so high priority to fix. 4 is a catastrophe that must be fixed before release. Think about how often it happens, how many people it hits and how hard it is to get past. Then rate the problem, not how much you dislike it.
Heuristic evaluation or usability testing?
They answer different questions, so they work best together. A heuristic evaluation is fast and finds obvious rule-breaking, ideally before you spend money on participants. Usability testing shows what real people do and why, including problems no checklist predicts. A sensible order is to evaluate first, fix the clear problems, then test with people.
How should I present the findings?
Lead with the few problems that matter most, which here means severity 3 and 4, and say where each one happens. Add a screenshot and a one-line recommendation for each. Then show the count by heuristic so people can see the pattern. Keep minor and cosmetic items in an appendix. The Markdown and PDF exports follow this order, worst first.
Is my evaluation saved or shared?
It's kept in this browser so you can come back to it. To keep it on any device, log in and save it to your account. Either way, download the CSV or Markdown report if you want a copy.
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