Everyone in the UK knows their vehicle needs to pass an MOT, the annual check to make sure it's still fit for the road. But do digital platforms, websites and apps need a similar annual fail-safe? We think the answer is yes!
The term MOT is synonymous with quality standards. Over 35 million vehicles are tested every year and around 30% fail to meet the set standards. Most of those fail because of minor faults rather than more dramatic issues; only c.8% fail because of items classified ‘dangerous’. Similarly, many websites and digital products fail to meet expected standards due to minor problems with inaccessibility, search or basic functional requirements. That’s before we start to measure potential fundamental issues around website security and sustainability credentials!
Ensuring your website remains ‘roadworthy’ is crucial to maintaining user satisfaction, accessibility and, as a result, achieving business goals over the long-term. Stopping small issues from becoming 'dangerous' ones. This is where a UX Audit can form the basis of your website or digital product's annual ‘UX MOT’.
What is a User Experience (UX) MOT?
While there isn’t an onerous government body to dictate universal standards across the web at large, our deep expertise in helping clients pass Government Digital Services (GDS) alpha and beta tests and supporting leading private sector clients with their UX needs lets us bring together an array of UX Health Checks that your website, product or app should pass to be 'road worthy'.
Fast findings to fixes: the Goal of a UX MOT
The primary objective of a UX Audit is to understand the current state of your digital product.
The Audit starts by identifying existing challenges with regards to utility, functionality, usability and accessibility. It then uncovers potential opportunities for improvement. As part of a ‘UX MOT’, it's meant to be light touch and will typically not include extensive research. The aim is to perform a UX ‘health check’ within 3-5 working days that is not only cost effective but helps to create a roadmap of priorities to tackle any issues or opportunities uncovered.
Some issues may require further investigation to resolve fully. We make the transition from discovery into resolution seamless so that our clients need not worry about simply being left with a list of actions and no support. In practice, this means producing clear findings, areas to investigate further and a provisional roadmap of our recommended approach going forwards. We stay on hand to help our clients implement any improvements and find the right solution for both their organisation and users.
How a UX MOT is conducted
A UX audit is conducted by our expert UX researchers and designers. We evaluate the platform or website’s usability, heuristics and accessibility. We seek to utilise any other sources of data available, such as using previous research or tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar, to understand overall user experience. Depending on the circumstances and goals of our clients, our designers conduct high level user research or testing to validate our findings. They’ll also investigate any other supporting information available, such as reviews and user feedback. Findings and recommendations may vary from site to site (product to product), but will include aspects such as the site's navigation, layout, responsiveness, accessibility, content clarity, aesthetics and adherence to web design best practices.
What type of ‘product’ can benefit from a UX MOT?
Whether your product is an emerging platform transitioning to its next phase, an established website that's been running for years, a MVP (Minimum Viable Product) or even a prototype in its early stages, a UX MOT can be invaluable to ensure it is ‘road worthy’.
We would advise that a UX audit - and wider UX MOT - should be run at least annually to ensure quality and standards remain high as the product evolves and changes are implemented. Just like a car that is driven by multiple people and serviced by multiple mechanics, all contribute to its wear and tear; it's critical to regularly check that everything is in good working order.
Three Basic Steps of a UX MOT
1. Define the Goals, Scope and Approach
Just as with different vehicle category MOTs, there isn’t a ‘one size that fits all’ for UX MOTs. Due to this, the initial step is to align with your team to collaboratively define the goals and the scope of the UX audit. Are there any specific outcomes or focal points? Are there internal priorities or known issues that require examination? Perhaps you suspect that onboarding is too lengthy or there is existing feedback around a particular feature or section of your site. We can tailor our approach and the depth of our investigations to suit your needs.
2. Analyse: Problems & Opportunities
Once aligned, our UX experts will commence the audit. It begins by focusing on usability heuristics, user journeys, accessibility and visual design. If user research and/or testing is included, it will further substantiate the findings. More in depth UX audits may include landscape and competitor analysis to identify opportunities or points of inspiration that could be found elsewhere. The UX MOT might be further validated with analysis from Google Analytics and App Store reviews if relevant. Other considerations may include security and even SEO depending on the priorities established in our initial alignment meeting.
3. Reporting & Recommendations
We'll discuss the most suitable delivery format for you in our initial alignment session. This may take the form of a collaborative Miro board for ease of sharing and continued collaboration, a presentation deck for easy internal playback or a traditional report format.
This playback will cover the actions taken throughout the UX MOT, the findings and recommendations from our initial audit, results of any user research and data analysis as well as a summary of any additional activities undertaken, culminating in a provisional roadmap to help map the journey forwards. The important thing is that you receive the right output that will enable you to achieve your goals, and we'll be as flexible as possible to support this.
Our free UX Audit offer
We understand the importance of a well-maintained digital presence. To help you achieve this, we offer free UX audits that can form the basis of a full UX MOT. Our expert team will delve into your digital product, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for enhancement.
Take advantage of our pioneering UX expertise to ensure your digital product is not only functional and 'road worthy' but exceptional. Sign up today and schedule your UX audit to pave the way for a superior digital experience.
