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Usability--What is it?

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Ann Krause
Ann Krause

Usability refers to how easy user interfaces are to use. It is measured based on six factors: effectiveness, learnability, efficiency, memorability, error prevention, and satisfaction. Usability testing should start early in the design process and continue through iterations to refine the design. Implementing usability principles leads to products that are intuitive and enjoyable to use, improving user experience and business outcomes.

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Usability: What is it? “ Form follows function-that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” - Frank Lloyd Wright
Overview What is usability? How do people use the web? Why does it matter? What are some examples? Why is usability important? What does it cost? How do you do usability? What to remember about usability? How do I learn more about usability? Recommended reading and training
What is Usability? Usability is a measure of quality It’s defined by six quality components: Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction Source: Jakob Nielsen’s AlertBox: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html “ If you don't care about quality, you can meet any other requirement.” - Gerald M. Weinberg
What’s Wrong with These Pictures? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction Images courtesy of Usability Professionals Association: http://worldusabilityday.org/ Image courtesy of Usability by Design: http://www.usability.uk.com/resources_humourc.htm
Law #1 of Usability Don’t make me think Eliminate questions in user’s heads like: Why did they call it that ? Names of things should be obvious Is it clickable? Buttons should look like buttons; links should look like links. How to search? – use a search box labeled Search or a box with a button that says “Search” next to it. Where am I? Where should I begin? Where did they put _______? What are the most important things on this page? ? Points from Steve Krug’s book: Don’t make me think
How do people use the web? We usually muddle through, looking feverishly for anything that resembles what we’re looking for that is clickable. If it doesn’t pan out, we click the Back button and try again. We don’t read pages; we scan them. We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice. Points from Steve Krug’s book: Don’t make me think
Why does it matter? There’s a better chance they’ll find what they’re looking for. There’s a better chance they’ll understand the full range of what we offer. We have a better chance of steering them to the parts we want them to see. They’ll feel smarter and more in control, which will bring them back. If we make something where users “get it”:
What’s Wrong with These Pictures? Submitted by Sue Neiers Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
Submitted by Jon Christopherson When rescheduling a meeting in Lotus Notes, I have to drag a slider along with me. If I forget to bring the slider, I have to go back to the original meeting time and get the slider. It’s really difficult to drag it if I have to move the meeting more than a couple days forward. Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
What’s Wrong with These Pictures? Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
What’s Wrong with These Pictures? Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
How about some good examples? Google Sketchup Submitted by Bryan Christensen What’s good about this product? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
How about some good examples? What’s good about this product? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
How about some good examples? What’s good about this product? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
Why is Usability Important? Usability is necessary to survive. If it’s difficult to use, people leave . If users get lost, they leave . If it’s hard to read or doesn't answer users' key questions, they leave . If users cannot find the product, they cannot buy it. If users don’t know how to buy the product, they cannot buy it. If users cannot find the price of a product, they will not buy it. “ The joy of an early release lasts but a short time. The bitterness of an unusable system lasts for years.” - Anonymous
What is Usability NOT? Usability should NOT be: Expensive Time consuming A creativity killer Focus groups Customer satisfaction surveys “ It is far better to adapt the technology to the user than to force the user to adapt to the technology.” - Larry Marine
How Much does Usability Cost? Cost: Best Practices say to spend 10% of project budget on usability More than doubles a web site's desired quality metrics Slightly less than doubles an intranet's quality metrics Benefits : For internal users ,think about: Cutting training budgets in half (or more) Reducing bottlenecks by enabling more non-specialized personnel to perform duties For external users, think about: Doubling (or more) the number of registered users Doubling (or more) number of products ordered
When to Start Usability? The earlier the better Before you’ve defined the requirements Before you begin the design Before you write the code Before you begin the mission “ You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledge hammer on the construction site.” - Frank Lloyd Wright
How do you do Usability? Before starting the new design, test the old design. Test your competitors' designs. Conduct a field study to see how users behave in their natural habitat. Make quick prototypes of one or more new design ideas and test them. Refine the design ideas that test best through multiple iterations. Inspect the design relative to established usability guidelines. Once you decide on and implement the final design , test it again. “ It's better to design the user experience than rectify it. It's the difference between a cathedral and the Winchester House.” - Jon Meads
Food for thought … “ Questions about whether design is necessary or affordable are quite beside the point: design is inevitable. The alternative to good design is bad design, not no design at all. Everyone makes design decisions all the time without realizing it­-like Moliere's M. Jourdain who discovered he had been speaking prose all his life­-and good design is simply the result of making these decisions consciously, at the right stage, and in consultation with others as the need arise.” - Douglas Martin (Book Design) “ Coding is long. Design is short. Paper is cheap.” - Anonymous
Recommended Reading Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug Essay #46: “Why software sucks (And what to do about it)” by Scott Berkun Designing from Both Sides of the Screen by Ellen Isaacs and Alan Walendowski Institutionalization of Usability by Eric Schaffer And just about anything Jakob Nielsen writes! “ If there's a 'trick' to it, the UI is broken.” - Douglas Anderson
Recommended Training Human Factors International offers: Excellent training courses in many locations Certification program for usability analysts Online community for certified usability analysts My favorite courses were: The science and art of effective web and application design User-centered analysis and conceptual design
Points to remember Usability is a measure of quality Remember Law #1: Don’t make me think Users scan and click UN-usability means users won’t use it Usability increases productivity and use, saving both time and money Usability costs about 10% of budget Start usability before design Design for user tasks Usability test early and often! Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction “ If the user can't use it, it doesn't work.” - Susan Dray

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Usability--What is it?

  • 1. Usability: What is it? “ Form follows function-that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” - Frank Lloyd Wright
  • 2. Overview What is usability? How do people use the web? Why does it matter? What are some examples? Why is usability important? What does it cost? How do you do usability? What to remember about usability? How do I learn more about usability? Recommended reading and training
  • 3. What is Usability? Usability is a measure of quality It’s defined by six quality components: Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction Source: Jakob Nielsen’s AlertBox: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html “ If you don't care about quality, you can meet any other requirement.” - Gerald M. Weinberg
  • 4. What’s Wrong with These Pictures? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction Images courtesy of Usability Professionals Association: http://worldusabilityday.org/ Image courtesy of Usability by Design: http://www.usability.uk.com/resources_humourc.htm
  • 5. Law #1 of Usability Don’t make me think Eliminate questions in user’s heads like: Why did they call it that ? Names of things should be obvious Is it clickable? Buttons should look like buttons; links should look like links. How to search? – use a search box labeled Search or a box with a button that says “Search” next to it. Where am I? Where should I begin? Where did they put _______? What are the most important things on this page? ? Points from Steve Krug’s book: Don’t make me think
  • 6. How do people use the web? We usually muddle through, looking feverishly for anything that resembles what we’re looking for that is clickable. If it doesn’t pan out, we click the Back button and try again. We don’t read pages; we scan them. We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice. Points from Steve Krug’s book: Don’t make me think
  • 7. Why does it matter? There’s a better chance they’ll find what they’re looking for. There’s a better chance they’ll understand the full range of what we offer. We have a better chance of steering them to the parts we want them to see. They’ll feel smarter and more in control, which will bring them back. If we make something where users “get it”:
  • 8. What’s Wrong with These Pictures? Submitted by Sue Neiers Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
  • 9. Submitted by Jon Christopherson When rescheduling a meeting in Lotus Notes, I have to drag a slider along with me. If I forget to bring the slider, I have to go back to the original meeting time and get the slider. It’s really difficult to drag it if I have to move the meeting more than a couple days forward. Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
  • 10. What’s Wrong with These Pictures? Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
  • 11. What’s Wrong with These Pictures? Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
  • 12. Which element(s) are missing? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
  • 13. How about some good examples? Google Sketchup Submitted by Bryan Christensen What’s good about this product? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
  • 14. How about some good examples? What’s good about this product? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
  • 15. How about some good examples? What’s good about this product? Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction
  • 16. Why is Usability Important? Usability is necessary to survive. If it’s difficult to use, people leave . If users get lost, they leave . If it’s hard to read or doesn't answer users' key questions, they leave . If users cannot find the product, they cannot buy it. If users don’t know how to buy the product, they cannot buy it. If users cannot find the price of a product, they will not buy it. “ The joy of an early release lasts but a short time. The bitterness of an unusable system lasts for years.” - Anonymous
  • 17. What is Usability NOT? Usability should NOT be: Expensive Time consuming A creativity killer Focus groups Customer satisfaction surveys “ It is far better to adapt the technology to the user than to force the user to adapt to the technology.” - Larry Marine
  • 18. How Much does Usability Cost? Cost: Best Practices say to spend 10% of project budget on usability More than doubles a web site's desired quality metrics Slightly less than doubles an intranet's quality metrics Benefits : For internal users ,think about: Cutting training budgets in half (or more) Reducing bottlenecks by enabling more non-specialized personnel to perform duties For external users, think about: Doubling (or more) the number of registered users Doubling (or more) number of products ordered
  • 19. When to Start Usability? The earlier the better Before you’ve defined the requirements Before you begin the design Before you write the code Before you begin the mission “ You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledge hammer on the construction site.” - Frank Lloyd Wright
  • 20. How do you do Usability? Before starting the new design, test the old design. Test your competitors' designs. Conduct a field study to see how users behave in their natural habitat. Make quick prototypes of one or more new design ideas and test them. Refine the design ideas that test best through multiple iterations. Inspect the design relative to established usability guidelines. Once you decide on and implement the final design , test it again. “ It's better to design the user experience than rectify it. It's the difference between a cathedral and the Winchester House.” - Jon Meads
  • 21. Food for thought … “ Questions about whether design is necessary or affordable are quite beside the point: design is inevitable. The alternative to good design is bad design, not no design at all. Everyone makes design decisions all the time without realizing it­-like Moliere's M. Jourdain who discovered he had been speaking prose all his life­-and good design is simply the result of making these decisions consciously, at the right stage, and in consultation with others as the need arise.” - Douglas Martin (Book Design) “ Coding is long. Design is short. Paper is cheap.” - Anonymous
  • 22. Recommended Reading Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug Essay #46: “Why software sucks (And what to do about it)” by Scott Berkun Designing from Both Sides of the Screen by Ellen Isaacs and Alan Walendowski Institutionalization of Usability by Eric Schaffer And just about anything Jakob Nielsen writes! “ If there's a 'trick' to it, the UI is broken.” - Douglas Anderson
  • 23. Recommended Training Human Factors International offers: Excellent training courses in many locations Certification program for usability analysts Online community for certified usability analysts My favorite courses were: The science and art of effective web and application design User-centered analysis and conceptual design
  • 24. Points to remember Usability is a measure of quality Remember Law #1: Don’t make me think Users scan and click UN-usability means users won’t use it Usability increases productivity and use, saving both time and money Usability costs about 10% of budget Start usability before design Design for user tasks Usability test early and often! Effectiveness Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error Prevention Satisfaction “ If the user can't use it, it doesn't work.” - Susan Dray