When to Refresh a Heat Study
Signals that last quarter’s heatmaps no longer match how people use your interface.
Major layout changes, campaign spikes, and new device mixes can age a heat study in weeks. Watch for stakeholders citing outdated hotspots and support teams describing friction your overlays never showed.
A light refresh cadence—after each significant UI release, or quarterly for steadier products—keeps heat language shared across design and product.
Refresh is not a full rebuild. Confirm which screens still drive decisions, prune the rest, and only open new studies when a new decision needs spatial evidence.