Heuristic analysis vs. user testing – when to use each?

Heuristic analysis and user testing are two ways to identify improvements in the usability of your product, website or app. Both have different advantages, so most researchers combine both in their day-to-day work. The choice of the most appropriate analysis depends on different factors that you need to be aware of in order to get the most out of both types of testing.

What is heuristic analysis?

Heuristic analysis is a technique used in the field of UX design to identify usability problems. Heuristic analysis does not involve real users, but rather usability experts who examine the product and assess how well it conforms to general design rules (the heuristics).

Heuristic analysis is fast and efficient. It is primarily used to correct obvious usability flaws. However, it is not sufficient on its own to guarantee the success of an environment, as it does not take user perceptions into account. It should therefore always be combined with user testing.

Heuristic analysis step by step

Heuristic analysis is simple and can be easily implemented by following these steps:

• Define the scope of the evaluation. First of all, decide what part of the product you are going to evaluate. It can be the whole product or a specific functionality (e.g. the registration process). It is also important to have a clear idea of what you want to discover or validate.
• Select the experts. Ideally, 3-5 usability experts are sufficient for an effective analysis. The more testers you include in the analysis, the more difficult it is for usability issues to slip through the cracks.
• Choose heuristics. The most common are Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics, but you can adapt or extend the list according to the type of system (e.g., specific heuristics for mobile apps).
• The experts review the environment individually. Each expert conducts the review independently, without external influences. They go through different tasks (such as registering, searching, shopping, etc.), identifying deviations from the heuristics.
• Problem documentation. For each problem, the evaluator gives a brief description and notes where it occurs, which heuristic is being violated, and adds an indication of its severity. A five-point scale is generally used where 0 indicates ‘not a problem’ and 4 indicates a ‘critical problem that needs to be corrected’.
• Report writing. Once the examinations have been completed, all the errors discovered are collected and duplicates are eliminated. The problems are then ranked according to their severity and frequency. In addition, it is customary to include recommendations for remedying the problems.

When the heuristic analysis is finished, the researcher already has a very clear idea of the most glaring usability errors that need to be corrected and the urgency of each one.

What is user testing?

User testing is also a usability evaluation technique, but instead of using experts, it is based on direct observation of real users interacting with the digital product.

Like heuristic analysis, user testing can also identify usability problems, but its focus is on detecting real problems that have a demonstrable impact on the user experience. Heuristic experts are not the users, so they can overlook things and instead give a lot of importance to something, which in reality, is not a problem for real users. In addition, user testing allows precisely to collect additional information about expectations, unmet needs, usage problems, and points of confusion or frustration when using the system. For this reason, user tests should always be conducted before making major decisions about a digital product, even if heuristic analyses have already been carried out.

Within user testing, there is a wide range of methodological possibilities to choose from depending on the objectives. Task-based usability testing detects problems while the user tries to complete real tasks within a certain time limit. Thinking aloud testing collect information about what the user thinks when confronted with the system. Card sorting and tree testing allow to improve the information architecture and menus. There are also user interviews, user surveys and many more solutions specifically designed to give the UX researcher the answers they need.

Heuristic analysis vs. user testing – when to use each?

Both methods can be used to detect usability problems, but each has advantages and disadvantages that make it more appropriate in some cases. Therefore, in practice, researchers regularly use both methods.

Here are the advantages of each.

Advantages of heuristic analysis

Heuristic analysis is very suitable in early stages of design or when resources are limited.

• It is faster to implement. It can be done in a short time, especially if you have experience, and does not require scheduling sessions with users or preparing a large amount of test materials.
• It can sometimes be cheaper. To perform a heuristic analysis, you need to bring in a group of usability experts, which comes at a cost. Hiring experts is usually more expensive than hiring regular users, but you only need a small number of them, so in some cases it can be cheaper. If you use internal resources for heuristic analysis, check that their position cannot introduce bias into the analysis of the solution.
• Ideal for finding obvious errors. Identify basic problems that do not need to be submitted to the users’ verdict because they clearly need to be corrected. This speeds up testing and results are obtained earlier.
• It is most useful in the early stages of design. As an expert analysis, it works even without a functional product. A prototype or wireframes are sufficient.
• It does not depend on human variability. Results are not affected by individual user behaviour or experience, which can reduce ‘noise’ in the data.
• It is easy to repeat. Because it is simple to perform, it can be used several times during the design process. It is then possible to verify whether previously detected errors have been corrected.

Advantages of user testing

User testing also has its own advantages that make it an essential part of any UX research strategy.

• They detect real problems of use. They reveal errors or frustrations that experts do not anticipate, even if the design complies with all the ‘rules’.
• They show how users think. User tests allow us to observe real expectations, confusions and behaviours that heuristic analysis cannot fully predict.
• They identify specific problems of the target audience. Real users may have different needs, contexts or knowledge that testers do not consider. Therefore, what experts think works sometimes does not work with real users.
• Improve communication with stakeholders. Watching videos or listening to frustrated real users has a stronger impact than reading a technical report.
• Capture contextual issues. Show how the user’s environment, device or emotional state affects the user experience.
• They assess efficiency and satisfaction. You can measure how long a user takes to complete a task, whether they get frustrated or find the process enjoyable.

As you can see, heuristic analysis is generally very useful in the initial stages for quick and agile testing. As the product reaches its final stages, it is when user testing allows us to offer richer information to ensure the correct usability of the system and, above all, to validate all the key aspects before launching it.

User testing with We are testers

One way to access user testing more easily and quickly is by resorting to specific solutions that allow quick access to users and automate research to make it faster and more efficient. Through We are testers’ panel of 130,000 users, you can quickly recruit the users you need for your tests. The research platform allows you to perform any kind of user tests in a very intuitive way. And if you prefer the tests to be carried out by We are testers’ team of expert UX researchers, we can carry out the entire project so that you don’t have to worry about anything. With these tools, user testing is much more accessible and quicker, so you can use them more frequently from the early stages.

So don’t launch your new digital products blindly, contact our experts to find out more!