Expert evaluations

Expert usability reviews of websites capture at least 70 % of usability issues experienced by users.

They are a fast and economical route to improving the usability of a website and repay the initial investment cost very quickly.

Optimum.web's approach to expert reviews delivers recommendations which are highly reliable and based in extensive HCI and Internet experience.

A typical optimum.web evaluation will be done by a panel of five consultants who base their findings on tried and tested usability guidelines.

Research into usability methodologies has found that expert reviews conducted by fewer than a team of three people are less accurate than using three to five. Therefore, optimum.web will always recommend a team approach in preference to the perceptions of one or two people.

Our team of expert consultants assess a site across eight categories of usability, such as 'effective home page', 'clear navigation', and 'e-functions', against a total of 20 individual heuristics or guidelines.

This analysis produces both quantitative and qualitative results upon which final recommendations can be based to enhance the user experience and site performance.

Importantly, any usability problems and solutions are prioritised to allow clients to follow subsequent design work on the issues which will deliver the greatest commercial benefit.

A full expert study usually takes three weeks from confirmation of brief. This timescale can be shortened if necessary by fast-tracking certain processes. This can be particularly valuable during the prototype stages of digital design or where a rapid response is needed to compare alternative design styles.