The secret to winning UX designs: A case study on the transformative impact of UX audits

A UX audit is a valuable process for identifying usability issues in digital products, improving the user experience, and ultimately driving success for your business. By thoroughly examining user behavior and interface design, organizations can address shortcomings and optimize their digital products for better user satisfaction and retention.

Have you had an experience of launching a mobile app that receives a significant number of downloads, only to be disappointed by the high rate of user abandonment shortly after? It can be frustrating and discouraging, especially after investing so much time, money, and resources into developing the app. You will be compelled to know what is causing this user behavior and how to retain users. Consulting design experts and conducting a UX audit of your digital product can help to identify potential issues and suggest ways to improve the user experience. 

At Aufait UX, we have helped our clients take their businesses to new heights through expert usability audit services. In this article, we will walk you through our UX audit process, using real-life examples from client projects. Before we delve into that, let’s take a quick look at what a UX audit is and when it is needed. 

What is a UX audit? 

A UX audit, also known as a usability audit, is a quality assurance process for evaluating digital products. The primary objective of a UX audit is to ensure that the digital products align with business objectives, deliver a satisfactory user experience and meet accessibility requirements. A UX audit helps to pinpoint the usability problems in a digital product that may be causing user attritions or poor market performance. 

A UX audit helps to address questions such as: 

• Are there any user pain points that are making the app difficult to use or navigate?
• What is the typical user behavior and to what extent can the app meet the user requirements?
• What changes can be implemented to optimize the app for a better user experience?

Essentially, a UX audit identifies the shortcomings or areas of improvement in digital products. Addressing these usability issues helps to alleviate users' pain points and optimize the product for the needs of the target audience.  

When to conduct a UX audit?

Holistic UX audits are an essential aspect of quality assurance for businesses, particularly when updating or redesigning a product that has been live for some time. Additionally, organizations may also schedule periodic UX audits to evaluate the quality requirements of the product in terms of both business and user experience objectives. Instances, where a UX audit is beneficial, are:

• When redesigning an existing product.
• When designing a new product, designers must check for usability issues during the design process phase itself.
• When defining product metrics to analyze the product's performance.
• When businesses aim to gain a deeper understanding of their users and accelerate business growth. 
• When startups want to validate their minimum viable products (MVPs).

In essence, a UX audit can be conducted at any stage of the product development lifecycle to identify performance issues and areas that require improvement. By undertaking a holistic UX audit, businesses can ensure that their products meet the requirements of their target audience and deliver a satisfactory user experience.

UX audit of an online food market website 

In One of our recent projects, we audited the core performance issues of an online food marketing website. Our primary objectives while conducting the UX audit were to:

• Identify points of miscommunication between the application and users.
• Evaluate dropout rates, points of confusion, and missed business opportunities.
• Assess the website's adherence to the brand’s design system.
• Identify incompatibilities with the universal design guidelines or standards.

UX audit methodology 

Here’s a breakdown of the process we followed at Aufait UX to conduct the UX audit. 

Project discovery 

We began by conducting an initial stakeholder meeting to understand the client’s objectives and the scope of the project. The meeting shed light on the client’s expectations from the audit as well as the features of the product and its competitors. 

To better understand the user journey, we delved deeper into researching the website's target audience, their behaviors, and their pain points. We also researched some of the key competitors to identify gaps in the product. This helped us gain a nuanced understanding of the users and the website’s place in its competing market.

User analytics 

We analyzed user analytics data to gain insight into the users’ interactions with the website and see how they were navigating it. The tool Microsoft Clarity was used for this purpose and we were able to thoroughly examine user behavior and extract valuable information such as: 

• 63% of users accessed the website through mobile devices, indicating the target audience’s preference for using smartphones to browse. 
• The average time spent by users on the website was 4.45 minutes, which is higher than the benchmark of 3.49 minutes. This suggests that users find the website engaging and spend time exploring it.
• The loading time for the website on mobile devices was 4.2 seconds, which is significantly higher than the benchmark of 2 seconds. This indicates a performance issue, which may be causing user frustration and increased attrition. 

Heuristic evaluation 

The next step in the audit process was heuristic evaluation where we evaluate the usability of the website by auditing it against a set of established heuristics. It helps to uncover valuable insights that can enhance the usability of products. Nielsen's Heuristic Principles, which are widely regarded as the gold standard in the field of heuristic evaluation, were chosen as the standard. 

We analyzed the product and diligently noted down all the areas where the website was deviating from the standards. Following this we suggested practical and effective recommendations to address each of the issues we identified.

The image below is the outcome chart we prepared to address the usability issues of the website. 

Usability testing

Usability testing is an integral part of our audit process which helps us understand how well users are able to navigate the interface of the digital product. 

To ensure a diverse and representative sample, we carefully selected four individuals with varying characteristics and technical skill sets. These participants were given a set of four tasks to perform on the website, while our team closely monitored the entire process and noted observations or feedback.

By taking a qualitative approach, we were able to gain valuable insights into the user's perspective and identify pain points that would have gone unnoticed otherwise. This approach allowed us to generate ideas and solutions for improving the website's overall usability. 

Design system evaluation 

We conducted a thorough evaluation of our client's design system and audited the website against it to detect any inconsistencies in the design. Adhering to design systems helps brands maintain consistency in their designs, which induces a sense of quality and reliability. 

During the evaluation process, we analyzed the website's interface and discovered a number of inconsistencies that were undermining the overall user experience. 

What were our findings after the UX audit? 

Our key findings from the UX audit were: 

• The website's navigation and information structure requires significant improvements to make it more intuitive and user-friendly.
• The layout and design of the website need to be updated to enhance its visual appeal and overall aesthetic.
• The content on the website needs to be more informative, engaging, and tailored to meet the needs of the users.
• The forms on the website should be optimized to be more user-friendly and efficient, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for the users.

By sharing these insights with the client in a comprehensive report, we could help them optimize their website for a better user experience. 

Improve your product’s user experience with our expert UX audit services 

Are you in need of a holistic UX audit to ensure your product is performing at its best? Look no further! Our team of expert UI/UX designers is here to help.

Sign up for a free consultation with us today and let us help you achieve your business goals and objectives by identifying and addressing any usability issues. As a UI UX company with 10+ years of experience, we have the expertise and tools to make your product conversion-oriented and competitive. Our team will conduct a thorough analysis of your product and provide tailored recommendations to identify the shortcomings of your product and ultimately drive success for your business.