Course Curriculum

4 Sections
00

Introduction to Heuristic Evaluations

4 Lessons 36 min
  • Overview — What You’ll Learn to Do 7 min
  • Why Conduct Heuristic Evaluation 13 min
  • The 10 Usability Heuristics 7 min
  • Potential Limitations of Heuristic Evaluation 9 min

Resources Provided

  • 0.1_CheatSheet_Heuristic-Evaluations (PDF)
  • 0.1_Guidebook_Heuristic-Evaluations-Master-Checklist (PDF)
  • 0.3_Guidebook_10-Heuristics-List (PDF)
01

Conducting Heuristic Evaluations

6 Lessons 80 min
  • The First Pass: Getting Familiar with the Interface 6 min
  • The Second Pass: Bottom-Up Review 11 min
  • What to Capture 11 min
  • The Third Pass: Top-Down Sweep 5 min
  • Tools for Capturing Findings 9 min
  • Tips for Writing Notes 7 min

Practice Activities

  • Mini Heuristic Evaluation (Instructions) 23 min
  • Mini Heuristic Evaluation (Walkthrough) 8 min

Resources Provided

  • 1.5_Template_Heuristic-Evaluations-Workbook (PDF)
  • 1.5_Template_Heuristic-Evaluations-Spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel)
  • 1.5_Template_Heuristic-Evaluations-Spreadsheet (Google Sheets)
  • 1.5_Template_Heuristic-Evaluations-Miro (Miro)
02

Planning Heuristic Evaluations

6 Lessons 63 min
  • Narrow the Scope of the Evaluation 7 min
  • Assemble Your Team 5 min
  • Tips for Small Teams 7 min
  • Steps for Planning the Evaluation 6 min
  • How to Facilitate The Evaluation 6 min
  • Prepare Your Evaluators 11 min

Practice Activities

  • How Would a Neutral Facilitator Respond? (Instructions) 18 min
  • How Would a Neutral Facilitator Respond? (Walkthrough) 3 min
03

Synthesize and Report Results

7 Lessons 72 min
  • Organize Findings 12 min
  • Define Severity 4 min
  • Rate Severity 9 min
  • Prioritize with Dot Voting 8 min
  • Achieve Consensus 4 min
  • Report Findings 7 min
  • Sharpen Your UX Skills 5 min

Practice Activities

  • Synthesizing Findings (Instructions) 18 min
  • Synthesizing Findings (Walkthrough) 5 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Know when to perform heuristic evaluations
  • Save time and money by identifying the biggest usability issues
  • Use structure for simple, repeatable efficiency
  • Prioritize findings to assess their impact
  • Report insights to inform design improvements

Course Preview

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Tools Used in This Course

To complete activities in this course, you will need access to a spreadsheet tool like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. You will also need access to Miro, either through the app or your browser.

All other resources can be accessed through a standard PDF reader.

Turn Problems Into Solutions

Complement user testing with heuristic evaluations

  • Use heuristic evaluations at the right time to get the best results
  • Avoid heuristic evaluations when they aren’t the right method
  • Base recommendations on tried and true principles (the 10 heuristics)

Plan and conduct heuristic evaluations that actually identify core issues

  • Involve your team in the evaluation process
  • Use our templates and documentation to efficiently plan evaluations
  • Record the observations that will help you defend your findings

Deliver credible insights that resolve design errors

  • Transform notes into insights and themes
  • Prioritize problems to solve based on impact
  • Choose the right format for communicating findings to stakeholders

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will I have access to this course?
Once purchased, your access will never expire. This ensures you can learn at your own pace and return to review content as often as you'd like, whenever you need.
Will I get personalized instructor feedback on course activities?
No, personalized feedback is not provided for activities completed during the course. Most courses provide answer keys to activities that help learners reflect on their progress and understanding of course materials and examples.
What content can I download?
You can download a variety of resources provided with each course, including templates, how-to guides, cheat sheets, posters, reading lists, and more. Video lessons provided in all courses will not be available for download.
Can I access this course offline or on a mobile device?
Offline access isn't available yet, although we plan to add it. Most courses offer downloadable resources for offline reference.

For the best experience, mobile devices are not recommended.
Is this course eligible for the NNGroup UX Certification Program?
Unfortunately, self-paced courses do not count toward UX Certification. However, learners who complete the final exam will receive a “Recognition of Completion” to demonstrate their achievement.

See our Live Online courses for options that count toward UX Certification.
What can I share with my employer to show I’ve completed the training?
Upon completing a course’s final assessment, you will receive a “Recognition of Completion” showcasing your dedication to learning the topic. This document can be shared with your employer or professional network to demonstrate your new skills and commitment to professional development.