Expert Reviews
Usability answers the question, “Can the user accomplish their goal?
– Joyce Lee, Human Factors Design at Apple
Expert reviews, also called Heuristic evaluations, give you a usability expert view of your design. Experience Dynamics expert reviews combine a depth of expertise in heuristics (usability rules of thumb); user advocacy (gained from observing users for many years) and an in depth review of your business objectives.
Definition:
Evaluation of your design by a usability expert. Checks your design against known interface problems; alerts you to opportunities and things to consider.
Benefits:
- Identify issues and opportunities with your design.
- Spot errors, confusions and problems early on.
- Audit how compliant your design is with UX best practices.
- Get design recommendations.
Methods we use:
Heuristic evaluation, Cognitive walkthrough; Competitive Reviews (Benchmarking).
Deliverables:
Expert Review report with design recommendations.
Heuristic evaluations can help find problems and generate ideas and opportunities. When viewed through a user’s eyes, expert reviews can help gain insight into weak areas of your visual design
When to Do:
- Before and After a product launch.
- During wireframing, designing or developing.
- When you need some direction with your design.
- Expert reviews can be performed on wireframes or concepts.
How to use with Lean UX:
- Get quick feedback on any design, in any state (concept or in the market).
- Get fast insights for improvement or enhancement.
- Help prioritize Scrum product Backlogs.
- Good way to bring usability to a project that lacks UX funding, focus or a team.
Note: Expert reviews are not a substitution for when you really need to get user feedback on a design (usability testing) or discover needs and desires (field studies)