User Flow Analysis of the Ruangguru App Using Heuristic Evaluation and Cognitive Walkthrough Methods


  • Florentina Yuni Arini * Mail Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
  • Elang Restu Kembara Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
  • Fakhri Syihamul Umam Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
  • Hasya Anaqi Baskoro Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
  • Rosita Anggun Denistyansyah Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
  • Adjie Satria Pratama Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
  • (*) Corresponding Author
Keywords: Ruangguru; Usability Evaluation; User Flow; Heuristic Evaluation; Cognitive Walkthrough

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of user flow in the Ruangguru application by integrating Heuristic Evaluation (HE) and Cognitive Walkthrough (CW). HE was conducted by two UI/UX experts, while CW involved 62 students from lower secondary, upper secondary, and higher education levels. The research stages comprised problem identification, literature review, HE/CW scenario development, data collection, analysis, and formulation of design recommendations. HE identified 23 violations of Nielsen’s principles with an average severity rating of 2.74. The most critical issues occurred in System Status Visibility (SR = 3.2), Consistency and Standards (SR = 3.0), and Recognition rather than Recall (SR = 2.8), particularly during registration, content search, and payment transactions. CW produced an overall usability score of 4.08/5, with 63% of respondents willing to reuse the application. Interface Visibility achieved the highest score (4.10), whereas Action–Goal Association recorded the lowest score (3.81). HE exposed structural interface deficiencies, while CW revealed cognitive barriers during task execution. The combined analysis generated five recommendations: design-system standardisation, clearer status indicators, more intuitive labels, structured payment-method grouping, and contextual onboarding. This study contributes an integrated Heuristic Evaluation and Cognitive Walkthrough framework that links expert-identified interface problems with user-experienced cognitive barriers, providing a clear basis for prioritizing user-flow improvements in educational technology applications.

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Article History
Submitted: 2026-06-08
Published: 2026-10-18
Abstract View: 50 times
PDF Download: 50 times
How to Cite
Arini, F., Kembara, E., Umam, F., Baskoro, H., Denistyansyah, R., & Pratama, A. (2026). User Flow Analysis of the Ruangguru App Using Heuristic Evaluation and Cognitive Walkthrough Methods. Journal of Information System Research (JOSH), 8(1), 92-101. https://doi.org/10.47065/josh.v8i1.10218
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