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A major computer company spent $20,700 on usability work to improve the sign-on procedure in a system used by several thousand people. The resulting productivity improvement saved the company $41,700 the first day the system was used. - Bias & Mayhew
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What is Usability?
Usability is the measure of the quality of a user's experience when interacting with a product or system - whether a web site, a software application, mobile technology, or any user-operated device.
- Usability.gov
The effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with which users can achieve tasks in a particular environment of a product.
- International Standards Organization (ISO) |
Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy a user interface is to use. The word "usability" also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process.
Usability has five key components:
(Jakob Nielsen's Usability Attributes)
- Easy to Learn: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the site? Is the site easy to navigate the second or third time they visit?
- Efficient to Use: Once users have learned the site, how quickly can they perform tasks?
- Easy to Remember: Is the site easy to use after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
- Error Prevention: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?
- Satisfying: Do the users enjoy the site? Is it visually pleasing? What is the user's perception and opinion of the site?
Does it do what users need? Usability and utility are equally important: It matters little that something is easy if it's not what you want. It's also no good if the system can hypothetically do what you want, but you can't make it happen because the user interface is too difficult. To study a design's utility, you can use the same user research methods that improve usability.
+ Next: Why is Usability Important?
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