Usability
Usability is the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with which users can achieve tasks in a particular environment of an interactive system. High usability means a system is easy to learn and remember, efficient, visually pleasing, fun to use and quick to recover from errors.
Why test usability?
- Create products that sell
Usable products are powerful products. They increase efficiency, because users get the best performance out of them. Poor interface design often means that users ignore and misuse many features in which companies have invested considerable time and money implementing.
- Create web sites that stick
Products that work intuitively are more likely to make a positive impression on users. Usable products tend to be popular with their target users. They generate word-of-mouth advertising which, in turn, helps spread the usefulness and quality of the product.
- Save time and money
Meeting users' needs and requirements reduces the need for costly revisions after launching a web site or a software product. A user-centered design process increases the efficiency of the development, since it establishes clear goals for design and ensures implementation of only features which users find helpful.
