Heuristic evaluations are easy to use, fast and as cheap as you want it [13]. Plus, since each observed usability problem is explained with reference to an established usability principle, it is fairly easy to generate fixes. It is a good method for finding both major and minor problems in a user interface. Heuristic evaluations can be employed early in the design life cycle to find usability problems. This makes them considerably easier and cheaper to fix then than if the problems were to be discovered in later phases of the design or not at all. Therefore, heuristic evaluations stand a better chance of actually being used in practical design situations.
It requires a certain level of knowledge and experience to apply the heuristics effectively [12,13]. These usability experts are sometimes hard and expensive to come by, especially if they need to have domain expertise. If the evaluators are not part of the development team, they may not be aware of technical limitations on the design or why certain design decisions were made [4]. Differences between development team and evaluators may arise, which can impede communication and correction of the problems identified during the evaluation [4]. Heuristic evaluations are loosely structured and therefore run the risk of finding one-time, low-priority problems. These problems may not be important to correct. Finally, heuristic evaluations does not allow a way to assess the quality of redesigns [12].
Despite these disadvantages, heuristic evaluations still play an important role in the design life cycle of a user interface and if implemented properly can provide powerful results. Remember: even if the impact of a heuristic evaluation on an interface is minimal due to organizational constraints, it is always better than nothing.