22/5/2020 Finnovatec | Usability Checklist [UPDATED 2020]

Usability Checklist
Catch common usability problems before user testing

USER EXPERIENCE

Registering provides value to users. Unnecessary registration is avoided.

Website is credible. Credible references, credentials, contact information,

location, and images of real people are displayed on the website.

Website is professionally designed and up-to-date.

Sample content. For example there is a sample newsletter next to a newsletter

sign up form.

Personalized features. Currency, language, country speci c deals, taxes, or

delivery options are changed based on user's location. IP-based geolocation is not
enabled without user's permission.

Transparent pricing. Prices are clearly displayed. There are no hidden costs or
surprises in the terms.

Uncluttered product and service information. Information is scannable and

images can be enlarged or zoomed in on for more detailed viewing.

Onboarding experiences are avoided by making the app intuitive and easy to
use. In case onboarding is used, it is easy to dismiss or skip.

HOMEPAGE

Clear call for action. Users know what to do next and why it bene ts them. They
understand the value proposition and purpose of the site.

First impression. The homepage creates a positive rst impression and supports
conversion. 
Logged in user's name is displayed on the site.

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22/5/2020 Finnovatec | Usability Checklist [UPDATED 2020]

Major changes to the site are announced on the homepage. For example website
downtimes.

Company location and contact information is easily accessible from the

homepage.

There is a privacy policy, and terms & conditions especially in case the site
gathers information about users.

For European users, the site complies with the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR), agreed upon by the European Parliament and Council.

Images and videos are relevant and meaningful. No unrelated stock photos of
models. There are high-quality screenshots, videos or photos of the products and
services.

ACCESSIBILITY

Alt attributes are provided for non-text elements, such as images and maps.
Captions and transcriptions are used for audio and video.

Color alone is not used to convey information.

Content is readable without a style sheet.

Accessible navigation. Site can be navigated with a keyboard, without using a

mouse. Browser's keyboard shortcuts aren't overridden.

Links, buttons and checkboxes are easily clickable, for example a user can select
a checkbox by clicking the text, not just the checkbox.

NAVIGATION

Important links aren't placed in moving features, for example auto-rotating

carousels and accordions.

Alphabetical sorting is used only when there are no better alternatives, such as
grouping items into descriptive, related groups.

Navigation is consistent on every page.

Links are descriptive. There are no "click here" links.

There is a site description in the window title, which is easily understandable as a

bookmark.

Site's URL is memorable.

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22/5/2020 Finnovatec | Usability Checklist [UPDATED 2020]

SEARCH

There is a search bar, in case of a large website.

Search is available on every page, not just the homepage.

Search box is wide enough, so that users can see what they've typed.

LINKS

Important commands are displayed as buttons, not links. For example "Buy" or
"Pay" is a button, not a link.

Links are easily recognizable. They look clickable. Items that aren't links don't
look clickable, for example underlining text is avoided.

Color. Visited links color is di erent than unvisited. There are no broken links.

LAYOUT

Important content is displayed rst.

Site is responsive. Works with di erent screen sizes. There is no horizontal

scrolling.

Related information is grouped together clearly.

There are a minimum amount of pop-up windows

Consistency. Page layouts are consistent across the whole website.

Pages aren't cluttered. There is enough white space to support scanning.

ERRORS

Browser compatibility. Site works in various browsers.

User testing. Testing with target users is done at di erent stages of the project.
People who weren't involved in developing the site conduct testing.

Error pages. Site has custom 404 and 500 error pages.

Security. Site has an SSL certi cate.

FORMS

Simplicity Only absolutely necessary questions are asked in forms

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22/5/2020 Finnovatec | Usability Checklist [UPDATED 2020]

Simplicity. Only absolutely necessary questions are asked in forms.

Long dropdown menus are avoided. Instead users can input text, which is
validated on the backend.

Fields are labeled with common terms, e.g. Name, Address (supports auto ll).

Form submission is con rmed on e.g. a con rmation page.

Error messages are shown next to the input eld, not just on top of the page.

CONTENT

Contrast. There is adequate contrast between the text and background.

Content is scannable. There are short paragraphs, descriptive headings, lists and
images. Visual content is used when appropriate, instead of large amounts of text.

Content is written with common language that users easily understand.

Contact and company information is clearly displayed.

Content is useful and up-to-date, providing answers to the most common

questions asked by users. There are no long instructions.

Use of uppercase letters in prose text is avoided. Uppercase is used only for
formatting.
Bibliography

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