A heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method that involves having evaluators examine a user interface and assess its compliance with established usability principles (or “heuristics”). These heuristics are guidelines or rules of thumb that help identify common usability problems. During a heuristic evaluation, evaluators inspect the interface and identify potential usability issues based on the heuristics. The evaluators then report their findings to the designers or developers, who can use this feedback to improve the interface. Heuristic evaluation is a cost-effective and efficient way to identify usability problems early in the design process. It can be done quickly and does not require large groups of participants. It is particularly useful for identifying problems that may not be detected through user testing or surveys1.

A heuristic evaluation is the most suitable method for determining the portal’s compliance with recognized standard usability principles, such as Nielsen’s 10 heuristics for user interface design2. These heuristics cover aspects such as visibility of system status, match between system and the real world, user control and freedom, consistency and standards, error prevention, recognition rather than recall, flexibility and efficiency of use, aesthetic and minimalist design, help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors, and help and documentation. By applying these heuristics to the portal, the UX team can identify and prioritize the usability problems that need to be fixed.

An intuitive review is a less formal and less rigorous method of usability inspection, where an evaluator relies on their own intuition and experience to judge the usability of an interface. An intuitive review does not follow a set of predefined heuristics or criteria, and it is more subjective and prone to bias. An intuitive review can be useful for getting a quick overview of the interface, but it is not as reliable or comprehensive as a heuristic evaluation3.

User testing is a usability evaluation method that involves observing and collecting data from actual or potential users as they perform tasks with the interface. User testing can provide valuable insights into how users interact with the interface, what difficulties they encounter, and what their preferences and expectations are. User testing can also measure the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of the interface. However, user testing is not the best method for determining the compliance with standard usability principles, as it does not directly assess the interface against the heuristics. User testing is also more time-consuming, resource-intensive, and complex to conduct than heuristic evaluation4.