Cognitive walkthrough

Cognitive walkthrough simulates how users navigate your interface to complete specific tasks. Evaluators step into user personas' shoes, attempting each action while asking critical questions about learnability and discoverability. This method excels at revealing first-time user struggles. The process involves defining user goals, then tracing each step required to achieve them.

At every interaction point, evaluators ask:

• Will users know what to do?
• Will they see the right control?
• Will they understand the feedback?

These questions uncover gaps between designer intentions and user understanding. Documentation captures insights at each step, creating a detailed journey map of potential friction points. Unlike heuristic evaluation's broad assessment, cognitive walkthrough focuses intensely on specific task flows. This makes it particularly valuable for critical user journeys like onboarding or checkout processes.