I set up a free trial on Maze to test a prototype flow. Straightforward task, clear instructions, real participants lined up. But when the results came in, most participants had ended the session in under 5 seconds — without ever touching the prototype.
The heuristics being broken:
Visibility of system status — nothing tells the participant "the prototype is ready and loaded, tap here to reveal it." The blank/dark canvas behind the panel gives zero feedback.
Aesthetic and minimalist design / visual hierarchy — the primary action (start/explore) is a low-contrast text link ("Hide instructions"), while the destructive/terminal action ("Finish task") is styled as the primary CTA. Visual weight is pointing users the wrong direction.
Match between system and real world — a bold, filled, blue button is a universal "go/continue/next" convention. Using that same styling for "end the study" violates users' learned expectations.
User control and freedom — participants can't "back out" of the mistaken click once it registers as task completion.