Usability and the User Experience

What’s the difference between usability and user experience? For me, user experience is the experience someone has when using a design. Usability is the extent to which the design provides a good user experience. Usability is often misunderstood to mean ‘ease of use’. It’s much more than this though.

Hamill, David. Good Usability (2009). Articles>Usability>User Experience

Twitter, Tweetdeck and Simplicity

The usability of a website is relative to the audience that it was designed for. A website that is designed well for its primary audience will not necessarily provide a great user experience for everyone that tries to use it. It’s important to identify your target user if you’re going to make a site that works well for the right people.

Hamill, David. Good Usability (2009). Articles>Web Design>Audience Analysis>Usability

Avoiding the R word

Many web teams I talk to long for the day they get to redesign their websites. I remember the days when I was the same. I now believe that the word ‘redesign’ should be avoided. I think it’s quicker and easier to improve a website in phases. That includes the look and feel. Avoiding the R word makes it easier to improve your website.

Hamill, David. Good Usability (2008). Design>Web Design>Redesign

Focus Group Usability Testing

In today’s financial climate, organisations are trying to cut costs. This has led to lots of new and innovative cost-cutting usability techniques springing up. Some of them are ingenious, but not every cost saving measure is a good idea. One technique that is becoming popular with some is focus group usability testing. I recommend that you avoid this technique completely. I’ll try to explain why.

Hamill, David. Good Usability (2008). Articles>Usability>Testing>Focus Groups

Sub-Headers Are Navigation

Using good sub-headers will help your users find the information they are looking for. It’s like navigation but without the clicking and the cool roll-over effects.

Hamill, David. Good Usability (2009). Articles>Web Design>Information Design>Writing

Short and Simple Sentences

When you’re writing for the web, try to keep your sentences under 20 words in length. Your content will be easier to read this way. This is because it’s easier to read a few short sentences than it is to read one big one.

Hamill, David. Good Usability (2009). Articles>Web Design>Writing>Minimalism