How I run a UX audit in five steps

Most products don't need a redesign first. They need someone to look closely at what's already there and say, in plain words, where people get stuck. That's what a UX audit is for, and it's how most of my projects begin.

This is the process I follow every time, whether the product is a fintech dashboard or a two-screen MVP.

1. Understand the product and the goals

Before I open a single screen, I ask what the business needs the product to do. More sign-ups? Fewer support tickets? Faster onboarding? An audit without a goal turns into a list of opinions. With a goal, every finding has a reason to exist.

2. Audit every key flow

I walk through the flows that matter most, end to end, on desktop and on mobile: signing up, finding the core feature, paying, getting help. I note every moment of friction, from unclear labels to missing error states.

3. Pinpoint where users struggle

Friction I notice is still a hypothesis. Analytics, session recordings, support messages and short conversations with users show which issues actually cost the product its users. This is where an audit stops being subjective.

4. Prioritize the fixes

Not every issue is worth fixing now. I sort the findings by impact and effort, so the team knows which changes move the goal fastest and which can wait.

5. Deliver an action plan

The result is not a slide deck that sits in a folder. It's a ranked list of fixes with annotated screens and, where it helps, quick redesigns of the most important moments. Your team can start on it the next day.

A good audit gives you fewer, better decisions, not more work.

If you'd like a fresh look at your product, send a brief and pick UX audit. You'll hear back within 24 hours.