Photo Source: NASA
"Usability applies to every aspect of a product with which a person interacts (hardware, software, menus, icons, messages, documentation, training, and on-line help). Every design and development decision made throughout the product cycle has an impact on that product's usability.
As customers depend more and more on software to get their jobs done and become more critical consumers, usability can be the critical factor that ensures that products will be used." Denise D. Pieratti, Manager Usability Analysis & Design, Xerox Corporation
My definition of usability is minimal effort for maximum results. Others say it is that technology should work and not make you feel stupid, or that usability is anything that gives us the tools to build better software and Web content.Whitney Quesenbery's definition of the basics of usability is the best I've found.
As for you...why should you care about usability? If you work on the Web, create content for the Web, or use the Web...you should care about usability. For example, by incorporating just one usability technique, paper prototyping (sitting down with your software development team and using 8 x 11 inch pieces of paper and Post-itr notes to create prototype web pages BEFORE coding...you can save thousands of dollars in programming costs and staff hours by avoiding errors with this simple exercise. For more information on usability engineering, visit the World Usability Day website.
I belong to the Society for Technical Communication (STC). They have a number of special interest groups whereby you may attend seminars, meet, and learn from some of the experts, or just read up on the body of knowledge known as technial writing. STC has a number of special interest groups where you can gain in-depth knowlege in your particular interest, such as usability.
Visit the Website of the Leonardo DiVinci of usability, Jacob Nielson:
http://www.useit.com/Denise D. Pieratti, Manager, Usability Analysis & Design, Xerox Corporation, describes the steps involved in usability engineering as:
User and task observations observing users at their jobs, identifying their typical work tasks and procedures, analyzing their work processes, and understanding people in the context of their work
Interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires meeting with users, finding out about their preferences, experiences, and needs
Benchmarking and competitive analysis evaluating the usability of similar products in the marketplace
Participatory design participating in design and bringing the users perspective to the early stages of development
Paper prototyping including users early in the development process through prototypes prepared on paper, before coding begins
Creation of guidelines helping to assure consistency in design through development of standards and guidelines
Heuristic evaluations evaluating software against accepted usability principles and making recommendations to enhance usability
Usability testing observing users performing real tasks with the application, recording what they do, analyzing the results, and recommending appropriate changes
In reply to the question, "What does your poem The Road Not Taken, mean?" Robert Frost said, "What would you have me do...explain it in other and less good words?"
So...I refer you to the following Web links to find out about how vital usability is to useful software and hardware in this digital age.
Why are tech gizmos so hard to figure out
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2005-11-01-usability-cover_x.htmThe Secret of Making things work
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4393468.stm
Pushing the right buttons requires a human touch
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/pushing-the-right-buttons-requires-a-human-touch/2005/10/31/1130720481954.htmlUsability and User Exprience Design: The Next Century
Book Review: Institutionalization of Usability A Step-by-Step Guide
http://www.stcsig.org/usability/newsletter/0505-institutionalization.html
Usability in Sweden
http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/p1/program/artikel.asp?ProgramID=406&Nyheter=1&artikel=726365
Usability question comes of age
http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/05/stories/2005110519080400.htm
But what good is usability without credibility? They are interdependent principals. The more credible you website, the more useful. If you can use the software...that's great, but is it believable? Nowhere is this more true than on the web. Once your software is easy to learn and useful, do you then use it to create credible material?
There are 5 principles of Web credibility:
- You must prove there is a real organization behind your website
- Your website needs to provide sensitive (important inside) information
- All statements should be backed up by third-party evidence
- There has to be proof that the organization is growing and has clients
- Your website needs to have an air of professionalism and confidence
For how to do usability right, visit Jacob Nielsen.
And see Zillan's White Papers for how to do it right.
