ux-heuristics

Walk through the interface checking each of Nielsen's 10 heuristics, such as system status visibility, error prevention, and consistency. Rate each issue found on a 0-4 severity scale based on frequency, impact, and persistence, then prioritize fixes starting with severity 3-4 issues.

They are ten general principles: visibility of system status, match with the real world, user control and freedom, consistency and standards, error prevention, recognition over recall, flexibility and efficiency, minimalist design, error recovery, and help documentation. Each heuristic includes examples, violations, and fixes.

Run heuristic evaluation first, before user testing, since it takes only 1-2 hours and catches major violations cheaply. Follow with user testing (2-4 hours) to observe real behavior, then use A/B testing or analytics for ongoing optimization.

Use a 0-4 scale: 0 is not a problem, 1 is cosmetic, 2 is minor, 3 is major (significant task failure), and 4 is catastrophic (prevents task completion). Weigh three factors: how often the issue occurs, its impact when it occurs, and whether it persists.

Dark patterns are interfaces that trick users into unintended actions, such as forced continuity, hidden costs, confirmshaming, and fake urgency. They violate regulations like GDPR and FTC rules, and ethical alternatives exist that achieve business goals without deceiving users.

Yes, it includes a complete WCAG 2.1 Level AA checklist covering perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust criteria. It also lists testing tools like axe DevTools, WAVE, and screen readers, plus common failure fixes such as contrast ratios and keyboard navigation.