singular-particular-space/skills/commissioning-skill/fetched-skills/ux-design/references/uxh-audit-template.md

UX Heuristic Audit Template

Structured template for conducting heuristic evaluations. Use this to systematically audit any interface.

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Audit Information

Product/Feature: ________________ Auditor: ________________ Date: ________________ Page/Screen: ________________ User Context: ________________ (who is using this, what's their goal?)

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Severity Scale Reference

Rating	Severity	Priority	Description
0	Not a problem	—	Cosmetic or disagreement
1	Cosmetic	Low	Minor annoyance
2	Minor	Medium	Delays or frustrates
3	Major	High	Significant task failure
4	Catastrophic	Critical	Prevents task completion

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Heuristic Checklist

1. Visibility of System Status

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Loading states are shown	[ ]
Actions provide immediate feedback	[ ]
Errors are communicated clearly	[ ]
Success is confirmed	[ ]
Progress is visible for long tasks	[ ]

Notes:

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2. Match Between System and Real World

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Uses user's language (not jargon)	[ ]
Icons are recognizable	[ ]
Order follows real-world logic	[ ]
Metaphors are appropriate	[ ]
Terms are consistent with industry	[ ]

Notes:

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3. User Control and Freedom

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Undo is available	[ ]
Cancel/Exit is always accessible	[ ]
Back button works as expected	[ ]
Users can skip optional steps	[ ]
Modals have clear close options	[ ]

Notes:

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4. Consistency and Standards

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Same terms for same concepts	[ ]
Buttons/links styled consistently	[ ]
Follows platform conventions	[ ]
Layout is predictable	[ ]
Same actions work the same way	[ ]

Notes:

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5. Error Prevention

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Destructive actions require confirmation	[ ]
Inline validation prevents bad submissions	[ ]
Constrained inputs prevent errors	[ ]
Defaults are sensible	[ ]
"Unsaved changes" warning exists	[ ]

Notes:

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6. Recognition Rather Than Recall

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Options are visible (not hidden)	[ ]
Recent items/history is accessible	[ ]
Icons have labels	[ ]
Instructions are in context	[ ]
Previous input is remembered	[ ]

Notes:

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7. Flexibility and Efficiency

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Keyboard shortcuts for power users	[ ]
Bulk actions available	[ ]
Customization options exist	[ ]
Frequent tasks are quick	[ ]
Advanced features don't clutter basics	[ ]

Notes:

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8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Only essential info is shown	[ ]
Visual hierarchy is clear	[ ]
Whitespace is used effectively	[ ]
No unnecessary decoration	[ ]
Primary action is obvious	[ ]

Notes:

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9. Error Recovery

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Error messages are in plain language	[ ]
Errors explain what went wrong	[ ]
Errors suggest how to fix	[ ]
User input is preserved on error	[ ]
Error location is highlighted	[ ]

Notes:

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10. Help and Documentation

Check	Pass?	Issue	Severity
Help is searchable	[ ]
Contextual help is available	[ ]
Documentation is task-focused	[ ]
Tooltips explain non-obvious features	[ ]
Support is accessible	[ ]

Notes:

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Summary

Issue Count by Severity

Severity	Count
4 (Catastrophic)
3 (Major)
2 (Minor)
1 (Cosmetic)

Top Issues (Severity 3-4)

#	Issue	Heuristic	Severity	Recommendation
1
2
3
4
5

Quick Wins (Low effort, high impact)

Issue	Fix	Effort

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Task-Based Audit (Optional)

Test specific user tasks and note where issues occur.

Task 1: ________________

Step	Expected	Actual	Issue	Severity
1
2
3

Task 2: ________________

Step	Expected	Actual	Issue	Severity
1
2
3

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Navigation/Trunk Test

Can users answer these questions immediately?

Question	Can Answer?	Notes
What site is this?	[ ] Yes [ ] No
What page am I on?	[ ] Yes [ ] No
What are the major sections?	[ ] Yes [ ] No
What are my options here?	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Where am I in the site structure?	[ ] Yes [ ] No
How can I search?	[ ] Yes [ ] No

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Recommendations Summary

Immediate (Severity 4)

Short-term (Severity 3)

Medium-term (Severity 2)

Low Priority (Severity 1)