- History of Usability
- Future of Instructional Technology
About Usability
- Types of usability studies & current research
- Usability Labs
- Resources
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What is human-computer interaction?
Human-computer interaction is a interdisciplinary study concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them.
What is usability?
Fundamentally, Usability is concerned with making systems easy to learn and easy to use. The term is used to describe the quality of a user's experience when interacting with a system - whether a website, a software application, mobile technology, or any other human operated device. A usable system is one which enables users to perform their job effectively and efficiently (Carroll 1997).
The following definition is provided by the International Standards Organization (ISO):
Usability is the "effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which a specified set of users can achieve a specified set of tasks in a particular environment."
Usability is concerned with 5 factors:
- Productivity
- Learnability
- Error Frequency
- Memorability
- Satisfaction
Why does it matter?
- Users are impatient: If a user cannot find what they are looking for on a website - whether it is a product or just information - they will leave and go elsewhere for the answer.
- Time is money: On company intranets, if users are unable to locate information they may not necessarily turn elsewhere, however they will waste time at work pursuing the answers.
Myths about usability
Myth: It is too expensive
Reality: Although larger corporations are known to invest
thousands of dollars in usability labs and testing, it is not necessary
for everyone to conduct such extensive testing. Effective and practical
usability tests can be conducted on a much smaller scale for much less
money. The cost savings in the long run will much outweigh any up front
investments in the usability of the product.
Myth: It will delay production
Reality: Conducting proper testing in the beginning stages of a project
can greatly reduce the risk of implementing unnecessary features that
users do not want and can settle arguments during development about
features that may or may not be useful to the end user.
Myth: It kills creativity
Reality: The creative process is based on problem solving. All such
problems must be solved within certain constraints and information simply
adds another level of detail to the problem and how it might best be
resolved. Introducing the results of user testing to the criteria under
which a website should function simply gives the designers and developers
more information with which to work. To ignore the information does
not change it, it simply increases the chance of failure upon project
completion.
Myth: Existing customer feedback is sufficient
Reality: Focus groups and customer satisfaction surveys fail to test
how users react in a true environment. Providing an audience with a
slick marketing approach to a solution or concept is sure to gain approval,
however to have the user actually use the tool when they are alone at
their computer is sure to elicit a much different response.
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