Nielsen’s heuristics on Urban Outfitters Web Site
Could you name a good website?
If you are studying UX design you have probably been asked to make a list with some of the best and worst websites you know, but what defines a good website?
One trick that might save you to identify the usability of a website is to check if it follows the Jakob Nielsen’s 10 general principles for interaction design. They are not the Bible. Actually, they are called “heuristics” because they are broad rules of thumb, but they have been used by some of the most successful companies in the world such as Apple, Google, and Adobe.
I decided to prove myself if Urban Outfitters website follows these principles or it doesn’t and I’m going to share the results with you.
The methodology I’m going to use is to explain each of the ten principles and then justify why it is or it isn’t reached.
Let’s get started!
Principle 1: Visibility of system status ✔️
“The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time”.
When you are navigating through the website you have constant feedback. For example, if you are trying to reach a new category or you add something to your bag, you are informed that your request is processing with a spinner and maybe some text.
Principle 2: Match between system and the real world ✔️
“The system should speak the users’ language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order”.
As you can see in the following picture, they use a language that is common and familiar to the user. It’s an online store where you can easily find different products such as clothes, accessories, and beauty products.
Principle 3: User control and freedom ✔️
“Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked “emergency exit” to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo”.
In this case, after adding a product to your bag, you can always remove, move that item to your wish list or save for later if you are not sure to buy it right away. So you don’t need to remove it and then search for it again later when you are ready.
Principle 4: Consistency and standards ✔️
“Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions”.
Even though you can find different products in this e-commerce, there is a consistency in all the websites, so this makes so much easier the experience for the user. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to buy a shirt for a woman or vynils.
Principle 5: Error prevention ✔️
“Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action”.
This principle is accomplished in several ways (for example when you are fulfilling the shopping form when you are not answering the required questions or you are adding invalid characters). I wanted to show this other example when you are informed that you are in a different country website in case you want to switch to a different site with a different currency (and maybe even different products).
Principle 6: Recognition rather than recall ✔️
“Minimize the user’s memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate”.
When you are interested in a product, when you select it you can check relevant information for you like the size guides, how is that product rated (and its reviews), or the shipping and returns information.
Principle 7: Flexibility and efficiency of use ✔️
“Accelerators — unseen by the novice user — may often speed up the interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent actions”.
The search bar on this website provides you a suggestion to accelerate your experience. They also included the Quick Shop button to add a product you like to your bag in just one click.
Principle 8: Aesthetic and minimalist design ✔️
“Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility”.
The information is organized in a hierarchy. For example, the online shopping experience is improved by steps, where the different information you need to give is simplified and grouped to make it easier.
Principle 9: Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors ✔️
“Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution”.
When you run into a non-existing page you are informed with a cute gif saying that the page you are trying to visit can’t be found.
Principle 10: Help and documentation ✔️
“Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user’s task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large”.
If you are experiencing any problems during your visit to this website you can always find information in the Help + Info section in the footer, where you can check different links according to your needs.
Conclusion
Urban Outfitters does follow all 10 principles. It doesn’t mean is the perfect website but its usability is definitely good.
