More info on Wikipedia
Quick Facts
- Usability suggests that an object is made with the user's psychology in mind
- Usability criterion demands that a product is easy to use
- Usability concept requires a product to be easy to learn
- User-friendliness or accessibility is an important consideration in usability studies
- Jakob Nielsen is a popular usability consultant
Expert summary
Usability is now a very useful and commonly used term designating the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal. Usability also refers to the principles behind an object’s perceived efficiency or elegance. The fields where the concept of usability is frequently used are that of human-computer interaction and computer science. There usability refers to the elegance and clarity with which the interaction with a computer program or a web site is designed. The concept is also applied in the context of consumer electronics, communication, and various knowledge transfer objects like a document or online help. The efficient design of mechanical objects is also referred to as usability.Recommended content
Websites (13)
Videos (7)
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Books (9)
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Handbook of Usability Testing: How to plan, design and conduct effective tests
This handbook is certainly worth the time reading, if not for the very practical examples offered. As a handbook, I would have expected a more scientific approach, but as far as it goes, the examples given make up for it. It gives you examples of acceptance criteria and, for instance, different settings of the usability environment with pro's and con's. -
A Practical Guide to Usability Testing
This is required reading for usability professionals. It's a detailed look at testing, covering everything from test plans and lab construction to data analysis and how to handle unqualified testers who slip through the screening process. It covers lower-budget tests in addition to full-scale ones. -
institutionalization of Usability: A step by step guide
he usability of computer interfaces is like art, essential, but difficult to quantify. However, with the proper approach, both can be taught and the best principles of usability can be formalized into a process. Creating such a process is not easy, requiring an ongoing commitment. Schaffer identifies four phases in the process of making usability issues a fundamental component of software design. They are the startup, setup, organization and long-term operations phases.
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