Over the past few months, I’ve met with 3–4 Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) who all shared the same reality: they had built a functional product — often a very good one! — but they kept receiving feedback from clients and prospects about their user interfaces and user experience (UX), especially usability:
- “Too busy, too convoluted.”
- “Too much text, or the text is too small.”
- “The workflow is hard to understand.”
User Experience (UX) Was Already on Their Radar, but…
During our discussions, I quickly realized that these CTOs already knew the value of UX. But for many reasons, they hesitated to start a full UX research project (and I don’t blame them):
- Tight timelines.
- Already busy reviewing their team’s work and promised functional improvements.
- Budgets that prioritize development.
- And so on…
In short: the train was already moving — and moving fast. They knew they needed UX help, but not something heavy or time-consuming. They also wanted to align their development team in the same direction.
Enter the UX Audit
This is exactly where I propose a UX Audit. Think of it as a check-up — a full health assessment of your digital product (but without the awkward hospital gown! ;)).
A UX Audit is essentially a heuristic evaluation of a digital product (SaaS, business application, mobile app, website, etc.):
- Screenshots of your product.
- Highlights and annotations.
- Descriptions of issues.
- Concrete recommendations aligned with recognized usability criteria.
It’s a pragmatic tool designed to work hand in hand with developers. Developers love it because it’s visual, concrete, and doesn’t require a PhD in Design Thinking. 😉
Personally, I often use Capian, a smart tool created by friends of mine, to structure and deliver audits effectively. Of course, other tools can work as well.
Why Do a UX Audit?
For digital projects, the advantages are numerous:
- Quick to deliver: generally 2 to 5 days, depending on scope and number of issues.
- Practical for developers: when well done, developers can easily understand and apply the recommendations.
- Pragmatic: you can collaborate with a UX expert for the audit, then decide on the next step afterwards.
- Strategic: while a UX Audit doesn’t replace in-depth UX research, it’s an effective first step toward improving usability and the user interface.
From “It’s okay.” to “I love it!”
A UX Audit isn’t the end of the journey. It doesn’t replace full UX research or usability testing with real users. But it’s a key step to improve user experience and transform a SaaS product (or any digital product) into a solution that’s more enjoyable and effective.
To move from a good product to an excellent one, every step in the right direction matters. It’s as simple as that.
Want to know more? Let’s connect for a quick chat.
