Heuristic Evaluation

We were assigned the task of evaluating and redesigning a selected platform using Nielsen's 10 Heuristics. This methodology provided a structured approach to assessing the platform's usability based on fundamental principles of interface design.

The Challenge

We chose the Zara website because of its fame and wide reach, which caters to diverse groups of people. Despite Zara's diverse selection of fashionable clothing for individuals of all ages, the online buying process encounters usability challenges. Through Nielsen's 10 Heuristics analysis, we've identified areas for improvement. We believe that such a platform should exemplify excellent usability and accessibility, serving as a model for others. Therefore, we have decided to propose our redesign project aimed at improving the usability and accessibility of the Zara website for all users.

Solution

We developed a solution focused on accessibility and inclusivity, aiming to ensure that everyone can enjoy a seamless shopping experience regardless of age, background, physical condition, or technical expertise. Through our redesign, we significantly enhanced the usability of the website without altering its branding. This initiative underscores our commitment to making digital platforms more user-friendly and universally accessible.

Role:

UX/UI Designer, Prototyper, Usability Tester, Heuristic Evaluator

Timeline:

2 weeks, 2024

Tools:

Figma, Slack, Zoom

Team “Usability Experts”:

UX: Anna Gutowska, Oriana Macias, Aisha Ahmed, Isha Shah

Solution

HOMEPAGE.png
HOMEPAGE 2.png
HOMEPAGE 3.png
2.png
2-2.png
SHOPPING BAG.png
CREATE ACCOUNT.png
SHIPPING.png
PAYMENT.png
CONFIRMATION PAGE.png

Our solution prioritizes user-centric design while preserving Zara's online platform's brand vibe and feeling. We aimed to implement key usability enhancements without introducing drastic changes, focusing solely on addressing critical issues.

  • 1) Highlighting the category bar on the homepage, positioning the search bar prominently with a clear background

    2) Adding intuitive buttons for easier cart management during shopping

    3) Reorganizing the cart view for improved clarity

    4) Implementing a clickable progress bar with order summary always visible on the right side, reducing the need for back-and-forth navigation

    5) Optimizing the use of whitespace on the site

    6) Subtly adjusting colors by incorporating shades of gray alongside black and white to enhance accessibility

    7) Providing visual feedback with an active status indicator each time a user interacts with elements, ensuring constant awareness of task status.

    Looking ahead, we recommend expanding the UI color palette with semantic colors to enhance accessibility further. These changes collectively aim to elevate the overall usability and accessibility of Zara's online shopping experience.

10 Usability Heuristics

What are usability heuristics?

Usability heuristics are practical guidelines used to assess interface quality and identify usability issues for design improvements.

In our projects, applying heuristic evaluation provided valuable insights into user interactions and behaviours. This informed our design decisions, enabling us to refine interfaces for more intuitive and user-friendly experiences. Utilizing heuristic evaluation was instrumental in enhancing the overall usability and effectiveness of our projects.

As part of the project, we focused on 5 selected usability heuristics:

Task Flow for analysis

Additionally, we have determined the task flow that, in our opinion, requires improvement the most:

Defining the severity scale

To ensure that our design decisions are supported by the system, we created severity scales to later determine what requires priority changes.

Analyzing Heuristic Violations

Summarizing and prioritizing issues

Design Iterations

Key Learnings

In the process of redesigning Zara's online shopping experience using Nielsen's 10 Heuristics, we gained valuable insights and key learnings that informed our approach. By prioritizing usability improvements, maintaining brand consistency, and leveraging heuristic evaluation alongside iterative redesign methods, we aimed to enhance the overall user experience.

Here are some key learnings:

    1. Prioritizing Usability Improvements: Focusing on addressing usability issues identified through heuristic evaluation, such as enhancing visibility of system status, improving error prevention, and optimizing user control and freedom.

    2. Maintaining Brand Consistency in Redesigns: Ensuring that the redesign aligns with Zara's brand identity while implementing usability enhancements, such as using consistent design elements and terminology across the platform.

    3. Leveraging Heuristic Evaluation and Iterative Redesign: Emphasizing the value of iterative design based on heuristic evaluations to continuously refine the online shopping experience, incorporating user feedback and testing to validate improvements.