Fish out of order

How to ensure a website redevelopment prioritises usability and accessibility

 

The Career Centre, an organisation dedicated to assisting Western Australians plan and develop their careers, was planning a review and redevelopment of their website. As a starting point, I conducted a heuristic review of their existing website to evaluate its usability, functionality, and overall user experience.

 

The review combined:

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• heuristic analysis (applying general usability principles) with

• cognitive walkthroughs (simulating real user interactions)

 

to assess key aspects of the site’s design and performance. The resulting document provided detailed scores, analysis, and recommendations to improve the website's navigation, search, content presentation, and accessibility.​

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Key elements 

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• A scoring system that enables objective comparison and prioritization of usability issues.

• Identification of barriers to accessibility, such as poor contrast in breadcrumbs, distracting motion elements, and lack of WCAG-compliant features.

• Identification of barriers to usability, including confusing navigation, unclear calls to action, and inconsistent language.

• Practical, prioritised recommendations are provided for each problem area. Recommendations range from zero-cost changes (e.g., rewording links and menu labels) to larger development projects (e.g., improving search functionality or restructuring the homepage).

• ​User personas (e.g. job seekers, career changers, professionals).

• A clear framework for future usability evaluations, making it easier to track improvements over time.

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This analysis informed the subsequent website redevelopment project to streamline user pathways, enhance content clarity, and improve accessibility, ensuring the website better supported students, job seekers and professionals looking to further enhance their employability.