Cons and caveats of usability inspection

At first glance, usability inspection seems like a perfect tool to test designs. It's cheap, fast, and can be done at any stage of a product lifecycle.

However, there are some downsides:

• Theoretical principles, no matter how sound, don't capture the unpredictability of real user behavior. An expert might miss issues that become obvious when watching someone struggle with your interface.
• Evaluator bias presents another challenge. Even experienced professionals bring personal preferences and assumptions that color their assessment. What seems logical to an expert might confuse actual users, especially if evaluators don't deeply understand your specific audience's context and constraints.
• Additionally, usability principles evolve with technology and user expectations. Heuristics written decades ago might not address modern interaction patterns like gesture controls or voice interfaces. Smart teams adapt general principles to their specific product context rather than applying them blindly.