What is Usability

Usability

Version Control – 1.0Version Date - 22nd Dec 2006

Author – Ranjeet Kumar

What is

Usability

?

Usability is the degree to which something - software, hardware or anything else - is easy to use and a good fit for the people who use it.

It is a quality or characteristic of a product.

It is whether a product is efficient, effective and satisfying for those who use it.

It is the name for a group of techniques developed by usability professionals to help create usable products.

And, it is a shorthand term for a process or approach to creating those products, also called user-centered design.

Definitions of Usability

• "Usability is about human behavior. It recognizes that humans are lazy, get emotional, are not interested in putting a lot of effort into, say, getting a credit card and generally prefer things that are easy to do vs. those that are hard to do."

-- David McQuillen in "Taking Usability Offline" Darwin Magazine, June 2003

• After all, usability really just means that making sure that something works well: that a person of average (or even below average) ability and experience can use the thing - whether it's a Web site, a fighter jet, or a revolving door - for its intended purpose without getting hopelessly frustrated. --Steve Krug

Lets look at a few examples

Usability meansMaking things easier to USE

Usability… Who is actively participating?

Internationally

Tho us a nd s o f o rg a niz a tio ns s uch a s

• Microsoft• IBM• Yahoo• US Federal Government• Singapore Government• Nokia• eBay• Amazon• Apple• Oracle

Nationally

In Ind ia , s o m e p io ne e ring a d o p te rs o f us a bility a re

• Yahoo! India• Symantec• Wipro• PURE IT Usability Research• People Group• Kanbay• Infosys• ICICI Bank• eBay India• Human Factors International

This means that the technology world is moving towards

Usability

Why

?

The IT product development life spam

Eg: The 1st Music System

Eg: The Camera

Usability a part of all traditional product development

• Manufacturing• Automobile• Aviation • Services• FMIG• Durables• Food• Health Care

Only in ITit is an after thought

So.. what is this

Usability?

Why is it important for

Me?

Usability Constructs

Design process in traditional product development

Design Process in IT, typical SDLC, UAT in the end

and

not iterative & not a part of process

?Is it acceptable

ReworkRework Rework Rework

Cost & time

overrun

Lets incorporate

Usability into the

design system

Advantages

•Increased sales

• Longer market life

• Credible marketing claims

• Compelling product demonstrations

• Reduced need for customer support

• Simple, less costly documentation

• Fewer last minute design changes

• Reduced development time

• Minimized rework

How

?

Many Methods

• ISO 13407• 9241 - 11• LUCID• Iceberg Method• HCD

What is

User-Centered Design?

User-centered design (UCD)

is an approach to design that grounds the process in information about the people who will use the product. UCD processes focus on users through the planning, design and development of a product.

Broadly all of them say this..

An International Standard

There is an international standard that is the basis for many UCD methodologies. This standard (ISO 13407: Human-centered design process) defines a general process for including human-centered activities throughout a development life-cycle, but does not specify exact methods.

In this model, once the need to use a human centered design process has been identified, four activities form the main cycle of work:

•Specify the context of useIdentify the people who will use the product, what they will use it for, and under what conditions they will use it. •Specify requirementsIdentify any business requirements or user goals that must be met for the product to be successful. •Create design solutionsThis part of the process may be done in stages, building from a rough concept to a complete design. •Evaluate designsThe most important part of this process is that evaluation - ideally through usability testing with actual users - is as integral as quality testing is to good software development. •The process ends - and the product can be released - once the requirements are met.

A Typical UCD Methodology

•Most user-centered design methodologies are more detailed in suggesting specific activities, and the time within a process when they should be completed. The UPA publishes a poster, Designing the User Experience, showing a typical UCD process.

•In this version, the UCD activities are broken down into four phases: Analysis, Design, Implementation and Deployment, with suggested activities for each phase. They are:

•Analysis Phase•Design Phase •Implementation Phase •Deployment Phase

Analysis Phase

•Meet with key stakeholders to set vision •Include usability tasks in the project plan •Assemble a multidisciplinary team to ensure complete expertise •Develop usability goals and objectives •Conduct field studies •Look at competitive products •Create user profiles •Develop a task analysis •Document user scenarios •Document user performance requirements

Design Phase

•Begin to brainstorm design concepts and metaphors •Develop screen flow and navigation model •Do walkthroughs of design concepts •Begin design with paper and pencil •Create low-fidelity prototypes •Conduct usability testing on low-fidelity prototypes •Create high-fidelity detailed design •Do usability testing again •Document standards and guidelines •Create a design specification

Implementation Phase

•Do ongoing heuristic evaluations •Work closely with delivery team as design is implemented •Conduct usability testing as soon as possible

Deployment Phase

•Use surveys to get user feedback •Conduct field studies to get info about actual use •Check objectives using usability testing

Question & Answers