Web Usability 0
It is not so difficult to try a definition of Web usability, even by “instinct“, nowadays most of us are regular users of the web and we’re able to identify when a site is “well designed“, and if not, at least can we tell if a site is “user friendly“.
So… “web usability” is the science that helps us identify when a website is easy to use, how to improve a site to make ir usable and how to build one with this philosophy in mind from the beginning, but also, it goes a little further, because it must meet objectives and meet them in a certain time window, so, a site besides being easy to use must be able to fulfill the purpose for which it was created, for example, what would happen when you enter a site that displays a very attractive form no one can complete it?, then this page is not usable, period.
Usability Definition
Let us now see some formal definitions of usability:
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) offers 2 definitions of usability:
- ISO/IEC 9126: “Usability is the capability of the software product to be understood, learned, used and attractive to the user, when used under specified conditions“. This definition emphasizes the internal and external attributes of the product, which contributes to its functionality and efficiency. Usability depends not only on the product but also on the user. Thus a product is not in any way inherently usable, it will have the ability to be used in a particular context and by particular users. The Usability of a product can’t be studied in an isolated way (Bevan, 1994).
- ISO/IEC 9241: “Usability is the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use“. This is a definition centered in the concept of quality in use, ie, it refers to how the user performs specific tasks in specific scenarios effectively.
¿What about web usability?
One of the experts and ‘the guru‘ of usability in web environments is Jakob Nielsen, who defined usability in 2003 as “Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use“.
Another clarifying definition is the one by Redish (2000), for him a web site is usable only if users can “find what they need, understand what they find and act appropriately… within the time and effort they think their task is worth“.
Now, as you know, a picture is worth a thousand words, thats why we share the image on the left that I think sums up quite well what is usability… a user browsing through a usable website feels satisfaction because he finds what he needs easily and without thinking. If the user also finds what ‘the owner‘ of the site wants him to find then the site is effective, if this process is also fluid and fast, the the site also is efficient; in this way we cover the 3 principles behind usability: Satisfaction, Effectiveness and Efficiency, thus complying with what we said in the beginning, a ‘usable‘ web site is not only easy to use and ‘nice’, it also meets the objectives for which it was built.
There is a lot of information on Web usability, but the only way to fully understand each concept is isolating it and reviewing examples, that’s why we have started this site, where in addition to reviewing all the concepts related to web usability every week we’ll review the usability of a website and suggesting improvements. Would you want us to review your site? … send us a message and maybe we will!
Now … Can a “system” be “beautiful” and yet “not usable“? Sure! and surely we can quickly think on more than one example, one of the most commented … Windows Vista!
We’ll also try to dig further into this topic by proposing certain readings on relevant topics, and this week we start with a book that in a very simple way, achieves to explain all of the top concepts asociated with usability, we trully recommend this book, especially for those who are just getting involved in the world of usability. The title of this book (”Don´t Make ME Think”) sums up in 4 words the heart of the usability: “Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
What happens when a site is poorly designed? well, we have to think that to get where we want … What do I press to add this item to my shopping cart? Where do I subscribe to the newsletter? How can I contact the author of this article? Etc., this are all questions that arise when a website is not usable and we have to try things several times in order to find what you are looking for, if a site is well designed, then we will not have questions, browsing through the site will be and an easy, fluid and entertaining experience, without having to stop and think about it even for a second.
So … now you know, the first tip, if using your website users are calling because they have to think about what they should do, then you need to evaluate the usability of your site and redesign it urgently!, so write in down on your mind …
FIRST RULE OF USABILITY: “DON’T MAKE ME THINK“
We hope to get you excited about web usability, in this, our first entry, and we hope you come back and follow us to find more information, se you soon!