A UX audit identifies usability problems that may be reducing conversions, slowing employees or increasing support requests. It combines expert review, analytics, user behaviour and business context.
1. Clarify the objective
Define what the product or page is expected to achieve. Examples include generating enquiries, completing purchases, onboarding customers or helping employees process requests.
Without a defined goal, the audit becomes a list of subjective design opinions.
2. Review navigation and information architecture
Check whether users can:
- Understand where they are
- Predict where a link will take them
- Find important information quickly
- Return to previous sections
- Use search and filters effectively
- Navigate consistently on mobile and desktop
3. Evaluate key user journeys
Review the complete journey for each important task. Count the number of steps and identify unnecessary decisions, repeated data entry and dead ends.
Test new-user, returning-user and error scenarios.
4. Assess content clarity
Headings, labels and calls to action should use language familiar to users. Avoid internal terminology unless the audience understands it.
Each page should answer:
- What is this?
- Why does it matter?
- What should I do next?
5. Inspect forms
Forms commonly create avoidable friction. Review:
- Number of fields
- Required-field indication
- Input formats
- Inline validation
- Helpful error messages
- Preservation of entered data
- Keyboard and mobile usability
6. Check visual hierarchy
Important actions and information should be visually prominent. Consistent spacing, typography, colours and components reduce cognitive effort.
Ensure that decorative elements do not compete with primary content.
7. Verify accessibility
Check keyboard navigation, focus visibility, colour contrast, alternative text, form labels and heading order. Test zoomed layouts and screen-reader compatibility.
Accessibility improves usability for a much wider group than users with formally recognised disabilities.
8. Evaluate performance and responsiveness
Slow loading, unstable layouts and unresponsive controls directly affect user experience. Test representative devices and network conditions.
9. Use supporting evidence
Combine the expert review with analytics, heatmaps, session observations, support tickets and stakeholder interviews.
10. Prioritise recommendations
Classify findings by severity, user impact, business impact and implementation effort. Separate quick improvements from structural redesign work.
CRUXZ perspective: Our UX audits turn observations into prioritised, actionable recommendations tied to measurable product and business outcomes.