Expert Review of the Renfe website

Project overview

This project was developed as part of an academic assignment, with the primary objective of enhancing my critical thinking skills through the evaluation of Renfe’s website.

Problem statement

Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristic

Findings from the investigation

Results

As a result of the heuristic evaluation, several issues related to the presentation of information and the website’s performance have been identified. The most critical problems include errors that hinder users from completing certain processes, preventing a seamless experience.

On one hand, ambiguous information has been detected regarding various aspects of trip planning, leading to user frustration and discomfort. In some cases, valuable information that could enhance the user experience is entirely omitted. On the other hand, frequent screen freezes occur during specific processes, which are inherently complex. The lack of clear communication regarding the causes of these errors further exacerbates the user’s difficulty in navigating the platform.

Additionally, given that this is a nationwide ticket sales platform, it would be advisable to position the “Daily Notices” section at the top of the webpage. This would ensure that users can immediately access relevant information upon entering the site to make a purchase, eliminating the need to search for or recall it.

Conclusions

The identified issues negatively impact users’ ability to perform basic tasks, such as locating information or purchasing tickets to plan their trips.

– Among the proposed recommendations, a key focus is improving the presentation of information by clarifying elements that may be confusing or overly complex for users. Additionally, the inclusion of relevant details to facilitate trip planning is suggested, such as recommendations for intermediate stops on routes where direct trains are unavailable due to logistical constraints. Furthermore, it is recommended to make important notices and assistance more visible, particularly those affecting specific routes, to simplify the planning process for users.

– Enhancing the website’s performance is also proposed by reducing loading times and minimizing site congestion, which would contribute to a smoother and more efficient user experience.