Usability Problem Defined
Too many deals on Front Page
Usability Problem Explained
On the front page, there are a bunch of deals and promotional material that can be distracting for customers.
While it could be nice to know what the current deals are, a user should not be immediately bombarded by them.
There are also way too many of them, while scrolling through the homepage, there is mostly ads, deals, and promotional material covering the screen and can be overwhelming.
Heuristic(s) Violated
#8: Aesthetic and minimalist design
Severity Level
2 = Minor usability problem
Usability Problem Defined
No address bar to indicate where you are on the site
Usability Problem Explained
There isn’t a clear indicator of what page you are on or what path you took to get there.
This could get confusing for users if they click on a series of links to find a specific item, and then leave the page whether on purpose or accident, and then forget how exactly
they got to that item when they try to find it again since there isn’t a clear address bar indicating their steps.
Heuristic(s) Violated
#1: Visibility of system status
Severity Level
2 = Minor usability problem
Usability Problem Defined
There isn’t a clear way to go back to a previous page
Usability Problem Explained
When looking through the pages, there are links you can click to take you to different categories, starting broad and then narrowing down.
However, there is no address bar to show the previous pages with links to click on. This can get confusing for some users if they were to click on the wrong
category and want to go back to a previous page. I know that the browser has a back arrow, but
some people forget it’s there, and having an easy way to go back on the site itself is useful and gives users more freedom.
Heuristic(s) Violated
#3: User control and freedom
Severity Level
2 = Minor usability problem
Usability Problem Defined
The drop-down menu is confusing
Usability Problem Explained
A drop-down menu should be quick and easy to use so users who know how to use one can easily find what they want.
The menu itself is fine, but when you click on the departments tab, there are way too many options given, making it confusing to navigate.
There is also no address bar in the menu showing what steps you took, but there is a back arrow. When you click on some of the departments,
some take you to a long list while others have one item. Overall, the departments menu is confusing and inconsistent.
Heuristic(s) Violated
#7: Flexibility and efficiency of use
Severity Level
2 = Minor usability problem
Usability Problem Defined
The help menu isn’t easily accessible
Usability Problem Explained
In order to find the help menu, you have to either click on the drop-down menu, which is only available if the window isn’t full-screen.
Or scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. Most people browse websites in full-screen, so to find the help button
they have to scroll down to the bottom of the page instead of using the dropdown menu. This can be frustrating for users
when they are trying to get help since the link isn’t immediately accessible without scrolling.
Heuristic(s) Violated
#10: Help and documentation
Severity Level
2 = Minor usability problem
Usability Problem Defined
The page is inconsistent between full-screen and windowed mode
Usability Problem Explained
When the page is in windowed mode, there is a drop-down menu not available in full-screen. The drop-down menu
makes the page cleaner and has a help option, but is hard to navigate. The bar at the top of the page in full-screen is
easier to navigate but has no help option. This inconsistency isn’t too major, but can get confusing for users.
Also, the menu should be normalized no matter what size you have the window and all options should be available.
Heuristic(s) Violated
#4: Consistency and standards
Severity Level
2 = Minor usability problem
Usability Problem Defined
There is no error message for an incorrect email
Usability Problem Explained
When trying to sign in to an account, if you don’t type a ‘valid’ email address, you receive an error.
However, if you mistype an email address or type in a nonsensical one, as long as it has an @ symbol and a proper ending like ‘.com’,
it accepts the email. I know that it is difficult to have an option to make sure the email address is real, they should at least have a confirmation message.
I know how frustrating it can be waiting for a confirmation email that accidentally got sent to the wrong address.
Heuristic(s) Violated
#9: Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Severity Level
2 = Minor usability problem