BAU Website
Heuristic Evaluation - BAU Mobile Website
1 month
2024
This case study explores the heuristic evaluation of the BAU Design College of Barcelona's mobile website, using Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics. The goal was to assess the site’s usability and identify key issues, providing actionable recommendations to improve the user experience for mobile users. The evaluation focused specifically on the mobile version of the website to ensure it meets the needs of prospective students interested in design and creative studies.
Challenges
Key challenges identified during the evaluation included:
Inconsistent language usage, especially for international users.
Issues with mobile-specific UI elements, such as readability in the hero section and button alignment.
Usability issues in the contact form and newsletter subscription, which hindered user efficiency.
Accessibility concerns, particularly for users who prefer dark mode or require font adjustments.
Heuristic Evaluation Focus
The analysis centred around four specific heuristics:
Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards – Ensuring uniformity in language, design, and functionality.
Heuristic 5: Error Prevention – Preventing errors through clear form design and validation.
Heuristic 7: Flexibility and Efficiency of Use – Enhancing the user experience by accommodating various needs.
Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design – Improving the design clarity and visual appeal.
Design Solution
Homepage Hero Section (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
The hero section on the mobile version featured poor contrast between bright images and white text, making the content hard to read.
Recommendation: Add a semi-transparent dark overlay on images to improve readability and create a better visual hierarchy.
Language Inconsistency (Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards)
Certain system messages, like error messages, were displayed in Spanish even when the English version was selected.
Recommendation: Ensure full translation of system messages to match the site’s selected language, improving accessibility and clarity for English-speaking users.
Newsletter Subscription Form (Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards)
The newsletter subscription form defaulted to Spanish, even on the English version of the website.
Recommendation: Provide language options for the subscription form and offer English as a choice for the newsletter, ensuring a consistent experience for international users.
Contact Form Fields (Heuristic 7: Flexibility and Efficiency of Use)
The contact form lacked clear labels and input hints, leading to user confusion.
Recommendation: Add placeholder text or clearer labels in fields like “Name” (e.g., “First Name, Last Name”) and “Country” (e.g., “Country of Residence”) to improve user guidance.
Contact Form Submission (Heuristic 5: Error Prevention)
Users could submit the contact form without completing all required fields, leading to errors.
Recommendation: Disable the CTA button until all required fields are correctly filled out, and implement real-time validation to guide users through the form.
Two Text Lines on Buttons (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
Some CTA buttons had text spanning two lines, which detracted from readability.
Recommendation: Modify button text to fit within a single line to improve clarity and alignment with design best practices.
Button Alignment (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
CTA buttons on the website were misaligned, creating visual inconsistency.
Recommendation: Align all CTA buttons to the centre for consistency and a professional, cohesive appearance.
Outcomes
The heuristic evaluation of the BAU website highlighted several usability issues, with a strong focus on consistency, accessibility, and error prevention. By implementing the recommended changes, the website would significantly enhance the user experience, offering greater clarity, ease of navigation, and a more inclusive experience for international users.
You can explore the full presentation here: BAU Heuristic Analysis Presentation
BAU Website
Heuristic Evaluation - BAU Mobile Website
1 month
2024
This case study explores the heuristic evaluation of the BAU Design College of Barcelona's mobile website, using Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics. The goal was to assess the site’s usability and identify key issues, providing actionable recommendations to improve the user experience for mobile users. The evaluation focused specifically on the mobile version of the website to ensure it meets the needs of prospective students interested in design and creative studies.
Challenges
Key challenges identified during the evaluation included:
Inconsistent language usage, especially for international users.
Issues with mobile-specific UI elements, such as readability in the hero section and button alignment.
Usability issues in the contact form and newsletter subscription, which hindered user efficiency.
Accessibility concerns, particularly for users who prefer dark mode or require font adjustments.
Heuristic Evaluation Focus
The analysis centred around four specific heuristics:
Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards – Ensuring uniformity in language, design, and functionality.
Heuristic 5: Error Prevention – Preventing errors through clear form design and validation.
Heuristic 7: Flexibility and Efficiency of Use – Enhancing the user experience by accommodating various needs.
Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design – Improving the design clarity and visual appeal.
Design Solution
Homepage Hero Section (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
The hero section on the mobile version featured poor contrast between bright images and white text, making the content hard to read.
Recommendation: Add a semi-transparent dark overlay on images to improve readability and create a better visual hierarchy.
Language Inconsistency (Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards)
Certain system messages, like error messages, were displayed in Spanish even when the English version was selected.
Recommendation: Ensure full translation of system messages to match the site’s selected language, improving accessibility and clarity for English-speaking users.
Newsletter Subscription Form (Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards)
The newsletter subscription form defaulted to Spanish, even on the English version of the website.
Recommendation: Provide language options for the subscription form and offer English as a choice for the newsletter, ensuring a consistent experience for international users.
Contact Form Fields (Heuristic 7: Flexibility and Efficiency of Use)
The contact form lacked clear labels and input hints, leading to user confusion.
Recommendation: Add placeholder text or clearer labels in fields like “Name” (e.g., “First Name, Last Name”) and “Country” (e.g., “Country of Residence”) to improve user guidance.
Contact Form Submission (Heuristic 5: Error Prevention)
Users could submit the contact form without completing all required fields, leading to errors.
Recommendation: Disable the CTA button until all required fields are correctly filled out, and implement real-time validation to guide users through the form.
Two Text Lines on Buttons (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
Some CTA buttons had text spanning two lines, which detracted from readability.
Recommendation: Modify button text to fit within a single line to improve clarity and alignment with design best practices.
Button Alignment (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
CTA buttons on the website were misaligned, creating visual inconsistency.
Recommendation: Align all CTA buttons to the centre for consistency and a professional, cohesive appearance.
Outcomes
The heuristic evaluation of the BAU website highlighted several usability issues, with a strong focus on consistency, accessibility, and error prevention. By implementing the recommended changes, the website would significantly enhance the user experience, offering greater clarity, ease of navigation, and a more inclusive experience for international users.
You can explore the full presentation here: BAU Heuristic Analysis Presentation
BAU Website
Heuristic Evaluation - BAU Mobile Website
1 month
2024
This case study explores the heuristic evaluation of the BAU Design College of Barcelona's mobile website, using Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics. The goal was to assess the site’s usability and identify key issues, providing actionable recommendations to improve the user experience for mobile users. The evaluation focused specifically on the mobile version of the website to ensure it meets the needs of prospective students interested in design and creative studies.
Challenges
Key challenges identified during the evaluation included:
Inconsistent language usage, especially for international users.
Issues with mobile-specific UI elements, such as readability in the hero section and button alignment.
Usability issues in the contact form and newsletter subscription, which hindered user efficiency.
Accessibility concerns, particularly for users who prefer dark mode or require font adjustments.
Heuristic Evaluation Focus
The analysis centred around four specific heuristics:
Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards – Ensuring uniformity in language, design, and functionality.
Heuristic 5: Error Prevention – Preventing errors through clear form design and validation.
Heuristic 7: Flexibility and Efficiency of Use – Enhancing the user experience by accommodating various needs.
Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design – Improving the design clarity and visual appeal.
Design Solution
Homepage Hero Section (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
The hero section on the mobile version featured poor contrast between bright images and white text, making the content hard to read.
Recommendation: Add a semi-transparent dark overlay on images to improve readability and create a better visual hierarchy.
Language Inconsistency (Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards)
Certain system messages, like error messages, were displayed in Spanish even when the English version was selected.
Recommendation: Ensure full translation of system messages to match the site’s selected language, improving accessibility and clarity for English-speaking users.
Newsletter Subscription Form (Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards)
The newsletter subscription form defaulted to Spanish, even on the English version of the website.
Recommendation: Provide language options for the subscription form and offer English as a choice for the newsletter, ensuring a consistent experience for international users.
Contact Form Fields (Heuristic 7: Flexibility and Efficiency of Use)
The contact form lacked clear labels and input hints, leading to user confusion.
Recommendation: Add placeholder text or clearer labels in fields like “Name” (e.g., “First Name, Last Name”) and “Country” (e.g., “Country of Residence”) to improve user guidance.
Contact Form Submission (Heuristic 5: Error Prevention)
Users could submit the contact form without completing all required fields, leading to errors.
Recommendation: Disable the CTA button until all required fields are correctly filled out, and implement real-time validation to guide users through the form.
Two Text Lines on Buttons (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
Some CTA buttons had text spanning two lines, which detracted from readability.
Recommendation: Modify button text to fit within a single line to improve clarity and alignment with design best practices.
Button Alignment (Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design)
CTA buttons on the website were misaligned, creating visual inconsistency.
Recommendation: Align all CTA buttons to the centre for consistency and a professional, cohesive appearance.
Outcomes
The heuristic evaluation of the BAU website highlighted several usability issues, with a strong focus on consistency, accessibility, and error prevention. By implementing the recommended changes, the website would significantly enhance the user experience, offering greater clarity, ease of navigation, and a more inclusive experience for international users.
You can explore the full presentation here: BAU Heuristic Analysis Presentation