The misconception
A list of preferences does not create clarity
Comments such as ‘make this clearer’ or ‘modernise the interface’ describe taste, not the product problem. They leave the team to decide what matters and why.
A strong review explains where the experience breaks, who it affects and what outcome the change should improve.
The diagnosis
Connect each finding to user behaviour
Review the journey around a real task. Look for unclear promises, competing actions, missing reassurance and steps that ask for effort before value is visible.
The evidence may come from analytics, support messages, recordings or the interface itself. What matters is that the finding explains a decision the team can make.
- What is happening?
- Why does it create friction?
- Who is affected?
- What should change first?
The output
Prioritise the smallest meaningful change
Separate urgent blockers from useful improvements and later ideas. The first recommendation should be specific enough to act on and small enough to test.
The review has done its job when the team knows what to change, what to leave alone and what evidence to watch next.
