My Bug Bashing Process
A Case Study From Austin Community College
One concept that consistently comes up in the study of both the fields
of quality assurance and visual communication is heuristic evaluation.
When I enrolled at Austin Community College to study design principles,
I encountered this familiar idea repatterned as
Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface
Design.
Heuristics are guiding principles that support quick, efficient
decision-making. They offer a structured framework for assessing the
usability and functionality of complex systems. With over a decade of
experience in manual software testing, I’ve developed an intuitive sense
for applying these principles in practice. As part of my introductory
UX/UI coursework, I evaluated the
Austin Community College admissions website.
The review was conducted using Chrome on macOS on December 1,
2024.
Heuristic | Priority | Severity | Issues | Recommendation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Visibility of System Status | 6 | 2 | Key content appears below the fold due to excessive header space. | Streamline the header and subheader into a single header at 100% width. Remove the external link to google search and the "I am..." dropdown. Relocate the language selection to the main header. Remove the header "ACC Admissions: Apply to ACC" as its redundant. |
Match between system and real world | 4 | 3 | Breadcrumb navigation leads to unexpected destinations. The "Apply now" button reloads the current page. | Update breadcrumb links to match user expectations—for example, ensure "Home" links to the ACC main homepage. Make the "Apply now" button link directly to the application form. |
User control and freedom | 3 | 3 | No visible back navigation; users rely on browser controls. | Add clear and functional breadcrumb navigation that correctly routes to previous sections within the admissions site. |
Consistency and standards | 8 | 2 |
1. Inconsistent terminology around area of study OR
programs. 2. Admissions-enrollment-forms page has a table heading for 'go to form' but 'Admissions Application' routes to a website instead of a form. 3. Adult Education is listed but not differentiated from regular or continuing education coursework. |
1. Standardize the use of either "area of study" or
"programs". 2. Rename misleading links, e.g. 'Admissions Application' to 'Admissions webpage'. 3. Conduct usability testing to refine terminology for Adult Education. |
Error prevention | 5 | 2 | Users are instructed to change browser settings to avoid losing application data. | Apply Progressive Web App techniques or use local storage to manage state and prevent data loss, minimizing reliance on user browser configurations. |
Recognition rather than recall | 2 | 3 | Confusing navigation flow between admissions, registration, and logout experiences. Users must remember how to navigate back to previous steps in multi-step processes, increasing cognitive load. | Improve hover/click interaction states. Embed the magnifying glass icon inside the search field for better affordance. Add clear navigation back to registration portals after logout. |
Flexibility and efficiency of use | 7 | 2 | The website does not easily cater to both novice and experienced users; information on program and certificate paths is difficult to find. | Promote direct access to Program Maps and Awards and other shortcuts from the homepage to support frequent user goals. |
Aesthetic and minimalist design | 10 | 1 | Redundant links and off-topic content clutter the interface. | Adopt a minimalist design approach by decluttering pages, using whitespace effectively, and highlighting key information to improve readability. Eliminate unnecessary bullets and consolidate repeated content. Remove promotional content unrelated to admissions, such as the “Meet the Graduates” video and credit transfer link. |
Help users recognize, diagnose and recover from errors | 9 | 2 | Broken or misleading links and search UI issues. | Correct the “Syllabus & Curriculum Vitae” link and reposition the search icon inside the search bar. Ensure search interactions are functional. |
Help and documentation | 1 | 3 | Overlapping navigation elements create confusion, making it difficult for users to quickly access information when needed. | Consolidate navigation into a single, accessible top-level menu. Replace accordion-style dropdowns with keyboard-navigable flyout menus to reduce cognitive load and improve accessibility. Create a centralized help center with searchable FAQs and tutorials and then migrate information from the admissions home page into the new help center. |
Example of a Bug Ticket
JIRA-101: "Apply now" button reloads current page
Description
The "Apply now" button on the admissions homepage reloads the current page instead of opening the expected application form.
Steps to Reproduce
- Navigate to https://admissions.austincc.edu/
- Click the "Apply now" button located in the hero section
- Observe that the page reloads rather than opening the application form
Expected Behavior
The "Apply now" button should navigate the user to the application form or display the form in-page.
Actual Behavior
Clicking the button reloads the homepage without displaying any form.
Environment
- Date: Dec 1, 2024
- Browser: Chrome (latest version)
- Platform: macOS
Additional Notes
This issue may negatively impact conversion and should be prioritized before the next enrollment cycle.