[Brief] Behance Heuristic Evaluation

Overview

Platform: Behance (Web/Desktop)

Purpose: A portfolio and networking platform for designers, photographers, and creatives.

Objective: Evaluating Behance’s usability based on Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics.

1. Visibility of System Status

✅ What Works: Progress indicators are present when uploading projects.

❌ Issue: The homepage feed lacks clear loading indicators, making it unclear if new content is loading or if the site is slow.

💡 Suggestion: Implement skeleton loaders or clearer loading animations for better user feedback.

2. Match Between System & Real World

✅ What Works: Uses familiar design terminology (e.g., "Projects" instead of "Posts").

❌ Issue: Some icons (like the “Appreciate” button) are not intuitive for new users.

💡 Suggestion: Improve icon clarity or add tooltips for better understanding.

3. User Control & Freedom

❌ Issue: Clicking into a project doesn’t save scroll position on the feed, forcing users to start over.

💡 Suggestion: Implement a back-navigation system that restores the exact scroll position.

4. Consistency & Standards

✅ What Works: Maintains a consistent card-based layout.

❌ Issue: Search results sometimes display in a grid and other times in a list, leading to inconsistency.

💡 Suggestion: Standardize search result layouts for better predictability.

5. Error Prevention

❌ Issue: Users can publish projects without tags or categories, reducing discoverability.

💡 Suggestion: Require at least one tag/category before allowing project publication.

6. Recognition Rather Than Recall

❌ Issue: The "Saved" projects section is not easily accessible.

💡 Suggestion: Make saved projects more prominent in the main navigation.

7. Flexibility & Efficiency of Use

❌ Issue: No shortcut keys for power users to navigate or browse projects efficiently.

💡 Suggestion: Introduce keyboard shortcuts for faster workflow.

8. Aesthetic & Minimalist Design

✅ What Works: Clean, modern UI with strong visual appeal.

❌ Issue: Excessive recommended projects and social elements make the feed feel cluttered.

💡 Suggestion: Allow users to customize their feed preferences to reduce visual overload.

9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose & Recover from Errors

❌ Issue: Vague error messages when file uploads fail.

💡 Suggestion: Provide more detailed error messages with solutions (e.g., “File too large, please upload under 10MB”).

10. Help & Documentation

❌ Issue: No onboarding process to guide new users through Behance’s key features.

💡 Suggestion: Implement an interactive tutorial or walkthrough for new users.

Summary & Recommendations

• Improve navigation and discoverability (Saved projects, search consistency).
• Enhance error handling with clearer messages.
• Optimize performance feedback (loading indicators, back navigation).
• Implement more customization options for user experience.

Final Thoughts: While Behance offers a visually engaging and powerful platform for creatives, refining its usability in these key areas will enhance the user experience significantly.