How to conduct a UX/UI audit when you join a new company

When you join a company as a UX/UI designer, the first thing you need is to understand the real state of the product—how it’s used, what problems exist, and what opportunities there are to improve it. For that, an initial UX/UI audit is the perfect tool: it gives you a global view, helps you identify priorities, and sets the foundation for medium- and long-term design work.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the steps to start a UX/UI audit, even if it’s your very first day on the project. Let’s begin.

1. Start by gathering information about the business context and objectives

Before jumping into Figma, you need to understand a few key points:

  • What problem the product solves
  • Who the client or end user is
  • Which metrics or KPIs matter (retention, conversion, adoption, time on task…)
  • What the company wants to improve (more sales? fewer support tickets? better onboarding?)

Always asking yourself: “What does success look like for this product in the next 3–6 months?”

2. Review the product as if you were a regular user

Browse the website, app, or software as someone seeing it for the first time. Write everything down without filters:

  • Do you understand what the product does?
  • Is the navigation clear?
  • Do the CTAs explain the action?
  • Does the visual hierarchy help or confuse?

This “cold” analysis gives you insights you lose once you’re familiar with the product.

3. Evaluate usability using heuristics

If you’re not sure what heuristics are, here’s a quick explanation: heuristics are principles or general rules that help evaluate whether an interface (app, website, or software) is easy to use. They aren’t strict rules, but rather well-known UX best practices used to identify usability issues without needing extensive user testing.

The most commonly used foundation for a UX audit is Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics. They help detect issues such as:

  • Lack of consistency
  • Tasks with too many steps
  • Error messages that aren’t clear
  • Lack of user control
  • Poor mobile intuitiveness
  • Lack of visibility of system status

4. Analyze the interface (UI) and the visual system

You should review:

  • Use of colors and contrast
  • Typography, scales, and weights
  • Component consistency
  • Spacing and grid
  • Button and input states
  • Iconography
  • Responsive behavior

5. Review analytics and real user data

Always ask for:

  • Google Analytics / Mixpanel / Amplitude
  • Hotjar / FullStory
  • Heatmaps

    (a visual representation using a color scale that shows which elements or areas get the most interest and interaction)
  • Funnels with the highest drop-off
  • Most-viewed screens
  • Tasks with the most friction

Combining real data + heuristics gives you a complete view of what truly matters.

6. Talk to key people (not just product)

Conduct internal micro-interviews with:

  • Support (daily user questions)
  • Sales (what clients are asking for)
  • Marketing (what expectations the website creates)
  • Developers (technical limitations)
  • Product (vision, roadmap, priorities)

This gives you business context and reveals recurring issues.

7. Prioritize your findings

Use a simple matrix:

  • High impact + low effort → immediate priority
  • High impact + high effort → plan for later
  • Low impact + low effort → quick fixes
  • Low impact + high effort → discard or postpone
  • Finally, present a clear and visual report. You can deliver it as a PDF, a Notion page, or a Figma file.

This is one of the best ways to start off strong in a new company and show that your work directly impacts both the user experience and business goals.