Review UX/UI

Review UX/​UI

Evaluate user experience and interface design for usability, accessibility, and effectiveness.

When to Use

• Conducting a usability review of an application before release
• Assessing accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA or AAA)
• Evaluating user flows for efficiency and error prevention
• Reviewing form design for usability and conversion optimization
• Performing a heuristic evaluation of an existing interface
• Assessing cognitive load and information architecture

Inputs

• Required: Application to review (URL, prototype, or source code)
• Required: Target user description (roles, technical proficiency, context of use)
• Optional: User research findings (interviews, surveys, analytics)
• Optional: WCAG conformance target (A, AA, or AAA)
• Optional: Specific user flows or tasks to evaluate
• Optional: Assistive technology to test with (screen reader, switch access)

Procedure

Step 1: Heuristic Evaluation (Nielsen's 10 Heuristics)

Evaluate the interface against each heuristic:

For each heuristic, rate severity of violations:

## Heuristic Evaluation Findings
| # | Heuristic | Severity | Finding | Location |
|---|-----------|----------|---------|----------|
| 1 | System status | 3 | No loading indicator during data fetch — users click repeatedly | Dashboard page |
| 3 | User control | 2 | No undo for item deletion — only a confirmation dialog | Item list |
| 5 | Error prevention | 3 | Date field accepts invalid dates (Feb 30) | Booking form |
| 9 | Error recovery | 4 | Form submission error clears all fields | Registration |

Expected: All 10 heuristics evaluated with specific findings and severity ratings. On failure: If time-constrained, focus on heuristics 1, 3, 5, and 9 (most impactful for user experience).

Step 2: Accessibility Audit (WCAG 2.1)

Perceivable

• 1.1.1 Non-text content: All images have alt text (decorative images have alt="")
• 1.3.1 Info and relationships: Semantic HTML used (headings, lists, tables, landmarks)
• 1.3.2 Meaningful sequence: DOM order matches visual order
• 1.4.1 Use of colour: Colour is not the only means of conveying information
• 1.4.3 Contrast: Text contrast ratio ≥ 4.5:1 (normal), ≥ 3:1 (large text)
• 1.4.4 Resize text: Text can be resized to 200% without loss of function
• 1.4.11 Non-text contrast: UI components and graphics have ≥ 3:1 contrast
• 1.4.12 Text spacing: Content works with increased text spacing (line height 1.5x, letter spacing 0.12em, word spacing 0.16em)

Operable

• 2.1.1 Keyboard: All functionality is operable via keyboard
• 2.1.2 No keyboard trap: Focus is never trapped in a component
• 2.4.1 Skip links: Skip navigation link available for keyboard users
• 2.4.3 Focus order: Tab order follows a logical, predictable sequence
• 2.4.7 Focus visible: Keyboard focus indicator is clearly visible
• 2.4.11 Focus not obscured: Focused element is not hidden behind sticky headers/​overlays
• 2.5.5 Target size: Interactive targets are at least 24x24px (44x44px recommended on touch)

Understandable

• 3.1.1 Language of page: lang attribute set on <html>
• 3.2.1 On focus: Focus doesn't trigger unexpected changes
• 3.2.2 On input: Input doesn't trigger unexpected changes without warning
• 3.3.1 Error identification: Errors are clearly described in text
• 3.3.2 Labels or instructions: Form inputs have visible labels
• 3.3.3 Error suggestion: Error messages suggest how to fix the problem

Robust

• 4.1.1 Parsing: HTML is valid (no duplicate IDs, proper nesting)
• 4.1.2 Name, role, value: Custom components have ARIA roles and properties
• 4.1.3 Status messages: Dynamic content changes announced to screen readers

Expected: WCAG 2.1 AA criteria systematically checked with pass/​fail per criterion. On failure: Use automated tools (axe-core, Lighthouse) for initial scan, then manual testing for criteria that require human judgement.

Step 3: Keyboard and Screen Reader Audit

Keyboard Navigation Test

Using only Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Arrow keys, and Escape:

## Keyboard Navigation Audit
| Task | Completable? | Issues |
|------|-------------|--------|
| Navigate to main content | Yes — skip link works | None |
| Open dropdown menu | Yes | Arrow keys don't work within menu |
| Submit a form | Yes | Tab order skips the submit button |
| Close a modal | No | Escape doesn't close, no visible close button in tab order |
| Use date picker | No | Custom date picker not keyboard accessible |

Screen Reader Test

Test with NVDA (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS/​iOS), or TalkBack (Android):

## Screen Reader Audit
| Element | Announced As | Expected | Issue |
|---------|-------------|----------|-------|
| Logo link | "link, image" | "Home, link" | Missing alt text on logo |
| Search input | "edit, search" | "Search products, edit" | Missing label association |
| Nav menu | "navigation, main" | Correct | None |
| Error message | (not announced) | "Error: email is required" | Missing live region |
| Loading spinner | (not announced) | "Loading, please wait" | Missing aria-live or role="status" |

Expected: Complete task flows tested with keyboard-only and screen reader. On failure: If a screen reader is unavailable, inspect ARIA attributes and semantic HTML as a proxy.

Step 4: Analyse User Flows

Map and evaluate key user flows:

## User Flow: Complete a Purchase

### Steps
1. Browse products → 2. View product → 3. Add to cart → 4. View cart →
5. Enter shipping → 6. Enter payment → 7. Review order → 8. Confirm

### Assessment
| Step | Friction | Severity | Notes |
|------|---------|----------|-------|
| 1→2 | Low | - | Clear product cards |
| 2→3 | Medium | 2 | "Add to cart" button below the fold on mobile |
| 3→4 | Low | - | Cart icon updates with count |
| 4→5 | High | 3 | Must create account — no guest checkout |
| 5→6 | Low | - | Address autocomplete works well |
| 6→7 | Medium | 2 | Card number field doesn't auto-format |
| 7→8 | Low | - | Clear order summary |

### Flow Efficiency
- **Steps**: 8 (acceptable for e-commerce)
- **Required fields**: 14 (could reduce with address autocomplete + saved payment)
- **Decision points**: 2 (size selection, shipping method)
- **Potential drop-off points**: Step 4→5 (forced account creation)

Expected: Critical user flows mapped with friction points identified and rated. On failure: If user analytics are unavailable, assess flows based on task complexity and number of steps.

Step 5: Assess Cognitive Load

• Information density: Is the amount of information per screen appropriate?
• Progressive disclosure: Is complex information revealed gradually?
• Chunking: Are related items grouped visually (Gestalt principles)?
• Recognition over recall: Can users see options rather than remembering them?
• Consistent patterns: Do similar tasks use similar interaction patterns?
• Decision fatigue: Are users presented with too many choices at once? (Hick's law)
• Working memory: Do users need to remember information across steps?

Expected: Cognitive load assessed with specific areas of overload or underload identified. On failure: If cognitive load is difficult to assess objectively, use the "squint test" — squint at the screen and see if the structure and hierarchy are still apparent.

Step 6: Review Form Usability

For each form in the application:

• Labels: Every input has a visible, associated label
• Placeholder text: Used for examples only, not as labels
• Input types: Correct HTML input types (email, tel, number, date) for mobile keyboards
• Validation timing: Errors shown on blur or submit (not on every keystroke)
• Error messages: Specific ("Email must include @") not generic ("Invalid input")
• Required fields: Clearly marked (and optional fields are marked if most are required)
• Field grouping: Related fields visually grouped (name, address, payment sections)
• Autocomplete: autocomplete attributes set for standard fields (name, email, address, cc-number)
• Tab order: Logical flow matching visual layout
• Multi-step forms: Progress indicator shows current step and total steps
• Persistence: Form data preserved if user navigates away and returns

Expected: Each form assessed against the checklist with specific issues documented. On failure: If there are many forms, prioritize the highest-traffic forms (registration, checkout, contact).

Step 7: Write the UX/​UI Review

## UX/​UI Review Report

### Executive Summary
[2-3 sentences: overall usability, most critical issues, strongest aspects]

### Heuristic Evaluation Summary
| Heuristic | Severity | Key Finding |
|-----------|----------|-------------|
[Summary table from Step 1]

### Accessibility Compliance
- **Target**: WCAG 2.1 AA
- **Status**: [X of Y criteria pass]
- **Critical failures**: [List]

### User Flow Analysis
[Key friction points with severity and recommendations]

### Top 5 Improvements (Prioritised)
1. **[Issue]** — Severity: [N] — [Specific recommendation]
2. ...

### What Works Well
1. [Specific positive observation]
2. ...

Expected: Review provides prioritised, actionable recommendations with severity ratings. On failure: If the review surfaces too many issues, categorise into "must fix" (severity 3-4) and "should fix" (severity 1-2).

Validation

• All 10 Nielsen heuristics evaluated with severity ratings
• WCAG 2.1 criteria checked (at minimum: 1.1.1, 1.4.3, 2.1.1, 2.4.7, 3.3.1, 4.1.2)
• Keyboard navigation tested for key user flows
• Screen reader tested (or ARIA/​semantic HTML reviewed as proxy)
• At least one critical user flow analysed for friction
• Cognitive load assessed
• Form usability evaluated
• Findings prioritised by severity with actionable recommendations

Common Pitfalls

• Confusing UX with visual design: UX is about how it works; visual design is about how it looks. A beautiful interface can have terrible UX. Evaluate both but distinguish them.
• Testing only the happy path: Error states, empty states, loading states, and edge cases are where UX problems hide.
• Ignoring real devices: Browser dev tools responsive mode is a proxy. Real device testing catches touch, performance, and viewport issues.
• Accessibility as an afterthought: Accessibility issues found late are expensive to fix. Evaluate early and continuously.
• Personal preference as UX feedback: "I would prefer..." is not UX feedback. Cite heuristics, research, or established patterns.

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