auditing-website-usability

Website Usability Audit

Target: $ARGUMENTS

Conducts focused usability audits and generates implementable UX fixes. Complements auditing-website-accessibility (WCAG compliance) with UX-focused analysis. No overlap: accessibility handles ARIA/contrast/keyboard; this handles task completion, friction, and clarity.

Audit Areas

Forms

• Smart defaults and field reduction
• Logical grouping and progressive disclosure
• Inline validation with helpful messaging

Navigation

• Information architecture and menu depth (target: <3 levels)
• Mobile usability and touch targets
• Breadcrumbs, search, and task completion paths

Input Validation

• Real-time feedback and error prevention
• Clear error messages with recovery guidance
• Submission confirmation

Microcopy

• Button labels, form hints, and instructional text
• Error message clarity and actionability
• User confidence messaging

Workflow

1. Identify scope from $ARGUMENTS (URL, file, or directory)
2. Audit task flows - map primary user journeys, identify friction
3. Inspect forms - field count, grouping, validation behavior
4. Review navigation - menu depth, mobile patterns, findability
5. Evaluate microcopy - labels, errors, guidance text
6. Classify findings by impact on task completion
7. Generate fixes with specific code changes

Output Format

Findings

CRITICAL (Task Completion Blockers)
- [Issue] - Impact: [High/Medium/Low] - Element: [selector]
  Fix: [Specific code/design change]
  Metric: [What improves - conversion, completion, error rate]

OPTIMIZATIONS (Friction Reduction)
- [Issue] - Impact: [High/Medium/Low] - Element: [selector]
  Fix: [Specific code/design change]
  Metric: [What improves]

Implementation Checklist

- [ ] [Fix description] - Impact: [High/Medium/Low]

Group fixes by: Forms, Navigation, Validation, Microcopy.

Rules

• Prioritize task-completion blockers before friction reduction
• Every finding must include a specific, implementable fix
• No time estimates -- prioritize by impact only
• Defer WCAG/accessibility concerns to auditing-website-accessibility
• Keep output concise: findings + fixes + checklist only

Further Reading

• Nielsen Norman Group — UX Research
• Usability.gov — User Interface Design
• Baymard Institute — UX Benchmarks