UX Audit: our steps and tools to successfully refresh your digital product

When users arrive at your product, they’re looking for a smooth, intuitive experience that allows them to find what they need quickly and easily. If the application meets these expectations, they’re likely to stay and engage. However, even small design flaws can disrupt this process, leading to frustration and a quick exit. These subtle issues, often overlooked, can significantly impact visitor’s interactions.

This is where a UX design audit comes in. It’s crafted to systematically identify pain points in your product’s interface, focusing on navigation, usability, and overall satisfaction. Based on the results, specialists can develop sufficient solutions to address the challenge for a better user journey. If you’re a newbie in UX audit or wish to learn about it in depth, let’s explore how it reshapes a product design and the framework used to conduct one.

What is a UX audit?

A UX audit is a regular checkup for a digital product, measuring its performance regarding the user experience. In simple terms, it reveals one important issue — what causes dissatisfaction among visitors, leading them to abandon their sessions. A typical audit evaluates navigation and usability pain points, promoting opportunities for future design enhancement.

A UX audit assesses how people engage with your digital product design and indicates performance gaps. As a result, designers are empowered to research and build better user-centric interfaces.

Mobile responsiveness is also part of an audit. Specifically, visitors should effortlessly locate relevant information on your application regardless of whether they access it from a PC, tablet, or mobile device. An example of this common issue is a page resizing incorrectly to fit a smaller screen. Hence, a responsive design on various screen sizes is another criterion of a UX audit to ensure overall satisfaction.

Why do you need a UX design audit?

Suppose you gain large traffic to the product, but there isn’t an increase in conversion rate. That’s when you’ll find a UX design audit helpful since it validates the user experience through reliable data analysis so you can make proper adjustments. Indeed, these reviews are carried out frequently as a quality control measure to identify UX problems as soon as they arise. 

Moreover, UX audits are part of the preparation process for a redesign or migration. To brainstorm compelling ideas, you’d better pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the current layout. Our article, 5 Principles of Good Design, discusses the formula for practical, eye-pleasing site looks from which you may get some inspiration. This way, the next product design can optimize the customer journey, ultimately boosting leads and conversions for the business.

How a UX audit can transform your product

UX audits allow you to identify multiple issues, especially regarding navigation and usability. With the results, you get a better chance of fixing the design effectively, following the target audience's expectations. Ideally, you’ll continue perfecting the design upon every review, making it easier to access and use day after day.

Some elements that a UX audit can help transform include:

• Bad navigation;
• Pagination errors;
• Missing search features;
• Cluttered or complex layout;
• Insufficient color contrast;
• Lacking calls-to-action buttons;
• Overwhelming pop-ups and notifications.

These are just some weak points to work on for an improved product design. A few tweaks here and there impact the overall experience to a great degree, triggering interest and engagement among users. Remember that your objective is to satisfy the visitors and make them stay longer for more content.

How we conduct a UX audit

As you know what UX audits are and why you should conduct them, it’s time to investigate the process in detail. Let’s see how our team collects and analyzes data against a set of industry standards and then writes reports and recommendations to solve problems and enhance user experience.

User behavior collection

First things first, we focus on analyzing and interpreting the valuable user behavior data provided by our clients. The point is to gather relevant information about these patterns, let’s say, how visitors interact with the product for the big picture. This can be done in various ways, including user feedback like surveys, questionnaires, and interviews, as well as analytics metrics like session time, clicks, and heat maps.

Additionally, we collaborate with stakeholders, especially higher-up executives, since they have a broad and thorough understanding of the target audience. Past audit results are also incredible sources for evaluation, and you shouldn’t leave them outside the picture. Altogether, the above qualitative and quantitative data will offer an interpretation of how users behave.

Usability heuristics evaluation

Heuristics refer to 10 rules developed by Jakob Nielsen that allow UX designers to use as a checklist for creating intuitive interfaces. You can learn more about these criteria in 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design. In summary, the set of heuristics, according to Nielsen, consists of the following:

• Visibility of system status;
• System & real world alignment;
• User control & freedom;
• Consistency & specific standards;
• Error prevention & forgiveness;
• Recognition rather than recall;
• Flexibility & efficiency of use;
• Aesthetic & minimalist design;
• Help with errors;
• Help & documentation.

During the evaluation, our designers assemble to review the benchmarks, trying to see the design from the user’s perspective. At the same time, they keep an eye out for drawbacks and note down possible potential solutions. Explore our article Heuristic Evaluation — Why is it Important in UX Audit? to know why we include a heuristic evaluation in a UX design audit.

Examination of cognitive load

Understanding how users process information on your product is key to delivering a smooth experience. Instead of overwhelming people with too much at once, the goal is to ensure they can easily absorb what’s on the page. For this, we take a close look at the factors like the number of elements, their complexity, and how well they’re arranged. An interface that is messy or poorly structured can result in cognitive overload, making visitors lose interest or become frustrated.

By evaluating the overall structure, from visual hierarchy to information flow, our team can identify potential problem areas. Subtle adjustments often make a big difference, reducing mental strain and enhancing both usability and satisfaction.

User flows and navigation analysis

As we’ve confirmed product usability through heuristics evaluation and cognitive load analysis, let’s continue the audit by examining user flows and navigation.  A user flow, or flowchart, is a visualization that displays the path people take from the entry point to the last interaction. It shows how visitors navigate your application, land on particular areas, and the actions taken along the way, such as clicking links.

In short, we investigate different touchpoints where the users navigate the product, making decisions to complete certain tasks. Looking closely, the designers can comprehend the obstacles visitors may face before achieving the final point — to place an order, for instance — and improve the journey. For a more detailed exploration of this topic, check out our article, UX Flow — Complete Guide to User Flow in UX Design.

Design components review

A UX design comprises many small components, and as part of an audit, we need to consider them individually. Examples include a dropdown menu, search bar, page layout, header and footer, tags, social media buttons, and so forth. These are also called user interface components, which, as the name suggests, directly impact the user experience of a digital product.

The review pins out discrepancies and inconsistencies, such as nonidentical margins, chaotic hierarchy, or similar buttons yielding different outcomes. Based on our awareness of these issues, it’s easier to establish action plans later on to accomplish an optimized design. A similar review should be done on mobile to ensure undisrupted satisfaction across devices.

Product accessibility verification

This is a significant test that verifies a product is accessible to all users, and we can’t miss out on this step during the UX audit. It generally requires meeting the standards under Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or similar applicable regulations, guaranteeing people with disabilities access content without any difficulty. A dark theme must be added to reduce eye sensitivity, for instance.

We typically conduct a comprehensive verification check to enhance accessibility, focusing on key areas such as ensuring that alt texts are in place for screen readers, form fields are clearly labeled for visibility, and keyboard navigation is fully supported without the need for a mouse. Addressing these and other essential aspects helps us effectively remove accessibility barriers, ultimately improving the user journey and driving higher conversions.

Key issues identification

At this point, it’s possible to recognize UX problems based on previous evaluation and analysis. Which issues stand out from the rest and require immediate attention? Our team concludes the research deliverables, such as responses and figures, and then determines the key issues and priority levels to facilitate solutions.

Though we have gone through over half of the audit process, this latter part is especially crucial for a successful UX design. You may wonder why. Not all audits can generate accurate, practical conclusions from analysis and testing. This is similar to having all the numbers, but you can’t calculate the result without the right formula. Hence, it’s better to involve professionals with profound experience in UX design audit to guide these steps.

Trend and tendency analysis

Once we’ve spotted key issues to work on, it’s now time to look at them more closely for a thorough investigation. What are the patterns, let’s say, for feedback about the search feature? Most respondents say the search bar is too small, while a few comment that its location is hard to notice. We recommend enlarging the feature’s size to see how it goes before placing it somewhere else.

This is just a simple scenario, although, in reality, there are many cases where it’s a lot more complicated to put a finger on significant issues given a large amount of data. Nonetheless, the trick here is to list the most popular opinions or metrics distinct from the competitors. These are usually the top concerns that need further improvement to optimize the product design.

UX audit reporting

We take pride in communicating UX audits with stakeholders, emphasizing truth, precision, and usefulness. At this stage, we discuss the findings and potential solutions together. As a result, you’ll walk away with valuable insights into the current product design, including key usability issues, improvement possibilities, and recommendations for better user experience.

All data and findings are compiled into a solid document for reference as part of reporting. Prominent areas for improvement are accentuated, ensuring that they receive adequate attention. And with this exhaustive report, we’re ready to establish an action plan to enhance UX design.

Suggestions with practical insights

UX design audits make up an essential preparation step for redesigns. By closely examining aesthetic and functional points, we lay the groundwork for a revamp that truly meets user needs. Our UX specialists give you practical, state-of-the-art recommendations to overcome all the challenges and elevate user experience to the next level.  

For instance, it might highlight overlooked pain points like inconsistent button behaviors or confusing page layouts that, once addressed, could significantly improve user satisfaction. If you can’t recall the term “redesign,” our article Website Redesign: How-To-Guide, Tips, and Best Practices offers an extended introduction to the topic.

Tools we use in UX audits

To get a clear understanding of user behavior and product performance, we rely on a range of analytics tools. We can either analyze existing data from ones or, if needed, integrate them into the client’s system in advance. This approach gives us a more complete picture of how users interact with a product. However, it’s important to note that some tools, like Hotjar and Google Analytics, require time to collect sufficient data before delivering accurate and meaningful insights.

Among the tools we often use are:

With a combination of the above, our team relies on solid, fact-based metrics and evidence to deliver findings and recommendations. Some essential features include performance analytics, session recordings, and heat maps. The data collected through the support of these tools gives us a credible foundation to research user experience, ultimately offering the best suggestions on UX design for stakeholders.

What to do after a UX audit

Once a UX audit is complete, what next? Many are confused by the abundant information in the report and don’t know where to start. Let’s break down the advised actions after receiving the results so you won’t get swamped.

Review the report and recommendations

Start your day by reviewing the report and recommendations. It’s better to consume the figures and evidence with a clear mind. You don’t want to be overwhelmed by data after a long working day.

The key to reading reports is scanning for important points. What are the most burning UX issues of the digital product? Which measures do the designers suggest to address them? These are questions you may ask yourself when going through the report content. Also, don’t hesitate to note your opinions so it’ll be easy to discuss them with UX specialists and team members later.

Develop an action plan

Upon reviewing the report, the next step is establishing an action plan, outlining every strategy to fix UX issues based on their priorities. For instance, if your product design suffers from poor navigation, you should make it the first objective and set an exact deadline to accomplish it. Furthermore, assigning tasks and responsibilities to the team encourages delegation and boosts effect time.

A working UX strategy addresses key issues with a timeline for implementation. Stakeholders use it to ease the user flow and achieve business results.

You can consult professional services on a user experience strategy as your action plan. For further explanation and tips for creating UX strategy, check our article UX Strategy: What Is It and How to Create It. From our experience, we have put together step-by-step guidelines that give a thorough overview of how to tailor a custom UX strategy for your product.

Set up periodic reviews and feedback sessions

Equally important to creating a UX strategy is having regular reviews and feedback sessions on your ongoing UX implementation. What has been done to minimize the friction in the user journey? Is it effective? Are there any other tactics that further amplify the positive outcomes? Just like an audit, periodic reviews and feedback ensure the quality of your product design.

In the worst scenario, you may head the wrong path and tackle irrelevant issues. This time, you can ask for advice and make some revisions and adjustments to the plan. Are there any other key problems missing? If the answer is yes, make sure to add them to the action plan and take appropriate measures to address them. Sometimes, we tend to neglect a tiny issue, but without it, our UX strategy doesn’t work its magic.    

Track UX metrics

Another recommended step after conducting a UX design audit is to keep track of UX metrics. It’s straightforward, thanks to the availability of many online analytics tools that you can easily access (including the ones mentioned above). These metrics help verify your product’s health in terms of the user experience, ensuring the strategy is effective in the long run.

The top ones to pay close attention to include the number of sessions, their duration, task success rate, abandonment rate, page load time, and many others. They provide insights into how visitors find the product useful and whether they’re satisfied with the process. If some metrics are unfavorable, you can also target them specifically in your strategy to improve the design.

Promote team collaboration

A single individual can’t accomplish a successful UX audit alone. That’s why don’t forget to work with others in post-audit activities, delegating tasks and responsibilities between project managers and designers for the best outcomes.

For instance, one can focus on tracking reviews and feedback, whereas another is responsible for collecting quantitative data. Above all, a project manager should be present throughout the phases to oversee performance, ensuring everything works efficiently according to the plan.

Ready for a new twist on your UX?

A UX design audit is like a health check for your digital product. Its ultimate purpose is to stimulate the user experience by smoothing out those pesky navigation and usability issues that might hold your application back. While the audit process can be exhaustive and lengthy, there’s always expert support ready to give you a helping hand.

At Halo Lab, we offer UI/UX Design Services, creating extraordinary user-centered interface solutions that transform your online presence. Our approach includes product discovery, UX/UI design development, and QA and support. With user experience as the top priority, our works will encaptivate visitors at first sight, leaving them scrolling for more.

We hope this article gives you some idea about UX design audits and the steps and tools we take to conduct a successful one. If you have any inquiries about our design services, don’t hesitate to contact us!