A qualitative and evaluative method.

360º Expert App Audit is a heuristic evaluation process that relies on Nielsen Norman and Rolf Molich usability principles enriched with custom categories from a broader user and business perspective.

Heuristic evaluation is a structured approach to testing the apps' usability by considering known heuristics.

We use it to eliminate significant usability and growth issues without involving real users.

Who

You will need at least 3-5 experts to do the 360º Expert App Audit. It does require at least one experienced evaluator. From the Infinum team, you are looking for Product Strategists, growth, QA, and other UX specialists. From the client's team, you are looking for a marketing specialist, product manager, content specialist, etc.

To prepare for the analysis, we suggest you get acquainted with 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design by Jackob Nielsen.

360º Expert App Audit and Website heuristic analysis are the only two user research methods we conduct — without users. This is because they rely on frameworks that consider well-tested and proven usability principles (heuristics). So the focus is still on the user's reality.

When

You can do the 360º Expert App Audits in any phase of the app's lifecycle. For example: use it in the wireframing phase as a checklist to make sure all the usability principles are being taken into account or in the optimization phase of an existing app with active users.

Examples of use cases for the 360º Expert App Audit:

• Sales phase: We offer it (maybe even for free) to assess the potential areas of involvement with a client. We come back with a backlog of items that can be turned into workshops or other production work.
• Part of the prep for Product strategy workshop Tier 2 and 3: We sell this audit as part of prep activities for a larger workshop. Requirement: client needs to have an already developed app
• Silent review of a current product we're working on: Instead of saying publicly to a client that we've messed up some things, we do this internally. And then use the findings and ideas to upsell work and overall raise the quality of the app.
• Overt review of a current product we're working on: If we're in an okay relationship with the current client, we can do this in tandem with them. This means the whole process is upsold, not just the outcome as in use case 3.

How

Part 1 — preparation (4-8h/person)

Do the research regarding the app you will evaluate - what is the app's goal, the main functionalities and features, and target audience/personas.

Once you know everything about the app goals, organize the heuristic analysis workshop. Schedule two hours to do the workshop and invite all the stakeholders that will participate in the audit.

Decide who will be facilitating the workshop, and prepare the sheet framework and the FigJam board. We suggest that every evaluator does the work in a separate sheet, as we all like to adjust to others' opinions.

Part 2 — the session (3-4h/person)

So, this is what the sessions look like:

• Take 10 - 15 minutes to meet, chat, loosen up, and build the rapport
• The person leading the workshop should debrief the rest on the motivation, agenda, goals, and the frame of the workshop
• Tell the evaluators to go to their assessment sheet and put focus on the first category
• Everyone's task is to read the statements of the category in focus, go through the app, and rate how much the statements describe the app on the level from 1 to 100
• Stay on the call so everyone can ask questions and clear the misunderstandings
• Feel free to tell the evaluators to put your thoughts, arguments, and ideas in the comments of the assessment sheet they will help you have the complete picture later on in the process
• When you are all done with the first category, continue to the next one, and if you are the workshop facilitator, don't forget to manage the time

After the analysis using the questions stated in sheet, you will have a quantitative overview of how well your app performs in these 10 categories:

• Pre-installation experience: Do users think this is the right app for them? Matching the app representation on the App and Play store with the app functionalities and target audience.
• Activation & Onboarding: Making it as simple as possible to onboard users. Complicated onboarding processes can make the app lose users before they experience the benefits.
• Information architecture: Do users know where to tap and what to do? Every app user wants to be able to find what they are looking for easily and quickly. Visible navigation and CTAs will help users navigate the app and use the features.
• Visual design: Clear and well-structured UI. Visually appealing and clear design, readable fonts, and smooth transitions are necessary.
• Usability: General principles for interaction design: How easy a product is to use—how easily a user can accomplish a given task with the app.
• Motivation: Stimulating and motivating users to use the app. Meeting the user's goals with features and functionalities and making the experience fun and enjoyable.
• Content & text: The clarity in communication and instructions. Relevant and clear content, concise communication throughout the app, and a positive and cheerful tone of voice.
• Privacy and trust: Data sharing options. Handling user's data sharing, permissions given, and the possibility of opting out of data sharing.
• Error handling & prevention: Avoiding errors and giving users the option to recover from them with clear instructions.
• Growth opportunities: Assuring the app has users actively using it. Acquiring new users, and re-engaging with those who stopped using the app.

The most probable outcome is that you will wrap the analysis up by realizing the app has some potential for improvement. And you will ask yourself — what do I do with these results now?

Part 3 — make it actionable for homework(2-3h/person)

End the session by giving the homework to the evaluators.

Guide them back to the FigJam template you have prepared. Split the categories among yourselves. Show the basics of FigJam to the evaluators and tell them their homework will be to:

• Think about how well the app performs in a category they are assigned to
• Take some screenshots and put some notes that describe the current status of the app
• Do some desktop research and find examples you can look up to
• Paste some screenshots and post some sticky notes that picture the improvement suggestions

Part 4 — prioritize & wrap up (2-3h/person)

Meet again and:

• Build the value-effort matrix by evaluating each suggestion's sticky note on the two dimensions (how valuable the improvement would be for the business and how much time, money, and effort they imply)
• Decide who owns what, put it on the roadmap, and start working on the quick wins! When building the value-effort matrix, keep that in mind.

Why

You can do the 360º Expert App Audits whenever you want to test the UX, content, design, or growth opportunities of an app. You might notice that you might test the same thing by doing usability testing. So, what's the difference between usability testing and heuristic analysis, and why would we ever use heuristic analysis?

Well... Usability testing will only get you the answers about people's reactions and behavior they are aware of. They don't always tell you much about deeper, subconscious principles.

Moreover, the fact that the people know they are being tested changes their behavior and answers. The discrepancy between people's socially desirable responses and their real behavior might lead you to make faulty assumptions and build a product that isn't what you looked for.

The advantage of heuristic analysis in this context is that it considers subconscious principles. It relies on a structured, tested, and proven heuristics framework.

Advantages

• Time & cost-efficient method
• A structured approach based on proven principles
• Results in clear action points
• Gives a client both usability and app growth ideas

Disadvantages

• The quality depends on the experience of the evaluators
• It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking you know all about your users