Usability
Usability isn't something that comes along in the process of product or service development. Usability is deeply affected by every decision in design and development.
Ensure usability by:
- Engineering it into products and services through an interative design and development process
- Involving users throughout the process
- Allowing usability and users' needs to drive design decisions
- Working in teams that include skilled usability specialists, interface designers, and technical communicators
- Setting quantitative usability goals early in the process
- Testing products and services for usability, but also integrating usabilty testing with other inspection methods for ensuring usabilty
- Being committed to making technology work for people
Ten Simple Heuristics
The following heuristics are tailored to Web site interface testing, but they can be used for many different aspects of evaluating a customer's experience when using a product or service; this includes all elements of technology testing and template/document design, as well as how people work together to accomplish specific goals. Ultimately, incorporating a good set of heuristics and following a rigorous usability testing procedure saves money because development takes place only after user requirements are fully detailed.
- Follow archetypes when applicable
- Use simple language
- Speak the user's language
- Temper consistency with context
- Provide feedback (visibility of system status)
- Provide clearly marked exits
- Provide shortcuts
- Create good error messages
- Prevent errors
- Offer adequate performance support
For more detailed heuristics and review criteria, a usability review template and a standard usability testing template with an outlined task and timing list can be developed. The available basic samples were developed for Genuity in the late 1990s; they remain intact. New templates are developed and customized as needed.
