Usability 101: Everything You Need to Know About Usability

UX and UI design have grown in importance over the years. Indeed, more and more websites are being designed with UX and UI in mind. With that being said, there are still people who have no idea what UX and UI are all about. This isn’t really surprising considering how abstract these concepts seem to people who are unfamiliar with them.

One good way to understand these concepts is by examining them under the lens of usability. Now, usability isn’t exactly easy to understand either. This is why we’ve prepared a brief explainer on this subject. If this is something you want to know more about, read on as we discuss everything you need to know about usability.

What Is Usability?

Usability refers to how easy the user interface of a site is to use. While that may sound simple, there’s a lot of things you have to consider when it comes to usability. To help make this easier for you, here are five quality components that define usability:

  1. Learnability: It’s crucial that a site’s interface is intuitive and easy to learn. First-time users should be able to figure out how to navigate your site with little to no problems.
  2. Efficiency: Not only does it have to be easy to learn but you’ll need to be able to navigate the site quickly as well.
  3. Memorability: Users need to be able to easily reestablish proficiency whenever they go on the site even after not visiting it for a long period of time.
  4. Errors: You’ll want to design your site in a way that not only minimizes mistakes but also makes it easy to recover from them.
  5. Satisfaction: Sites not only have to be easy to use but users should also have a good and satisfying experience while using them.

Why Is Usability Important?

Usability is important due to the sheer number of options that people have on the internet. Remember, rarely will you ever be the sole provider of a product or service. You’ll want to do all you can to ensure that customers use your site. The best way to do this is to make it as easy for them as possible. Failing to do so will increase the likelihood of them moving on to another site, which will be bad for your website in the long run.

How to Improve Usability?

There’s no one way to improve usability as it will depend on your target users. For the best results, it would be wise to get a hold of representative users and have them gauge the usability of your site. You’ll want to take note of any friction points that the users experience while they’re on your site. From there, you can make changes according to their comments so that you can have the best possible site for your target users.

Conclusion

We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to shedding some light on usability. While it may seem difficult to understand at first, usability is quite simple. Be sure to keep all of this information in mind when designing your website so you can create the best possible experience for your users.

If you need help with UI design, Seisan Consulting has got you covered. We are a technology consultancy that helps businesses realize their potential, maximize investments, and bring ideas to life through customized, state-of-the-art digital solutions for any problem or budget. For more information on our services, contact us today!

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