Introduction

In the digital, the primary goal of design is to facilitate interactions between humans and machines, making them smoother and simpler to use. These interactions can take various forms and sizes, each addressing a user's specific needs, thereby validating the utility of a digital product. While there are several ways to validate the success of a design, identifying where it has failed has never been easy; this is where design auditing comes into play.

What does design audit mean?

Design audit is a process aimed at identifying design issues to provide recommendations for improving the quality of the user experience with your digital products (website, web and mobile applications, etc.). This may involve assessing usability, adherence to accessibility standards, visual consistency, and more. This can result in increased user satisfaction and brand loyalty, ultimately leading to potential sales growth.

Who conduct the design audit and when should it be done ?

Generally, all companies that do not have an internal audit team usually engage design studios or independent professional designers to handle their audit. It is always recommended to conduct the design audit regularly on a digital product that has been on the market for a while or on a product still in the testing phase (in case you have followed a purely technical approach).

It is also important to note that the longer you wait to perform the design audit, the more unnoticed design gaps will be left unaddressed, making it increasingly challenging to correct them later and potentially leading to issues.

Why conduct a Design Audit ?

The most common situation for a company is to find that its digital product is no longer yielding the expected business results. This can lead to various issues, such as declining sales, users unable to convert due to a portion of your product not meeting accessibility standards, or perhaps having multiple similar buttons causing confusion among users, and so on. It is often challenging to pinpoint the root causes of these problems, which is why a design audit can prove to be a valuable tool for addressing them.

How to conduct a Design Audit?

The steps of a design audit can vary based on the specific needs of each business and its level of design maturity, as the latter can influence the depth and scope of the audit. Here, we have outlined only the general steps that should be included in a design audit :

1. Preparation

Before starting, it is crucial for a business to define the goals of the audit, evaluation criteria, and expected outcomes.

2. Analysis

Examine all visual and functional elements of the product using the previously defined evaluation criteria to identify potential weaknesses.

3. Report

Prepare a report that outlines the audit findings and provides recommendations for improving the design of the audited product.

Conclusion

The design audit can be viewed as a strategic initiative for companies aiming to maximize their impact and position themselves as leaders. Special attention to design can easily distinguish between a company that merely follows trends and one that anticipates and defines them.