There are ten usability heuristics for user interface design, according to Jakob Nielsen. I am going to perform a UX Audit on the Translink website based on these heuristics.

1: Visibility of System Status

The design should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within a reasonable amount of time.

2: Match Between the System and the Real World

The design should speak the users' language. Use words, phrases, and concepts familiar to the user, rather than internal jargon. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order.

This example of an information block on the Translink website includes this heuristic. The language used is understandable. However, it may be of more use to format the times as “3pm” and “10am” instead of “15:00” and “10:00”, as this could be confusing.

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3: User Control and Freedom

Users often perform actions by mistake. They need a clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted action without having to go through an extended process.

This can be represented as undo/ redo buttons, cancel buttons etc. An example here is that when clicking on the “Travelling to…” box, an X immediately becomes visible to let users know they can cancel this selection with ease.

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4: Consistency and Standards

Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform and industry conventions.