Ease of use in software design

Ease of Use usability (also translated as usability) "The term is presented in software development as a way to place users rather than systems at the center of the development process. This concept, known as "user-centric design", refers to the inclusion of the user's concerns from the beginning of the design process and dictates that the user should be the most important factor in any design decision.

The most notable aspect of this "user-centric design" approach is ease-of-use testing. In usability testing, the user interactively tests the product interface and communicates their views and concerns with the development and design staff.

This article discusses the concept of "ease of use" and why it should be an important part of software design projects. The first section explains what "Ease of use" means in software development and how it relates to other metrics of product value. The second part clarifies the importance of "ease of use" and how to apply the "user-centric design" principle to the development process. At the end of this article, you'll find a list of books, articles, and organizations that will help you learn more about usability and how to apply it to your projects.

Most of the principles in this article apply to the development of retail software (retailing software) and the development of internal application software (internal software). As you read deeper, be aware of words like "user" and "product", think about the relationship between them and your own projects, and think about the end-user needs of those products.

Define ease of Use

Easy to use

Ease of use is a measure of how easy it is to accomplish a given task with a product. This is not the same as "functional (utility)", "Like" (likeability) related concepts.

Ease-of-use VS functionality (usability vs. Utility)

The key to determining whether a product can be accepted by the user is whether it is useful to actually use it to accomplish a goal that the designer originally expected the user to accomplish. The concept of "useful (usefulness)" can be further divided into "ease of use (utility)" and "functionality (utility)". Although these two words are related, they are not interchangeable.

Functionality refers to the ability of a product to complete a task. Products are designed to perform more tasks, the more functional the product. Let's look at Microsoft's Ms_dos version of Word processor in the late 80, which provides a lot of strong text editing, but requires users to learn and remember a lot of mysterious keys to complete the task. Programs like this can be said to be highly functional (they provide a lot of necessary functionality to the user) but are very user-friendly (users must spend a lot of time and effort to learn and use them). In contrast, a well-designed, simple application, such as a calculator program, is easy to use, but does not provide much functionality.

Both of these characteristics are necessary for the product to be accepted by the market. Both are part of the overall concept of "useful" products. Obviously, if a program is very easy to use but doesn't have any functionality, no one has a reason to use it. And if the user is given a very powerful program, but it is difficult to use, then the user will likely resist it or seek other alternatives.

Ease-of-use testing helps you determine whether users can easily perform specific tasks. However, it does not directly help you to determine whether the product itself is valuable or functional. (Users may proactively provide functionality-related reviews in usability tests, but any such comments should be validated by other, more reliable research methods).

Like it vs use it (liking it vs. using it)

"People like" is always a desired feature in a product. If people like this product, they are more likely to use it and recommend it to others. But you should be careful not to confuse "people like" with "ease of use".

People often like a product for reasons unrelated to the usability and functionality of the product. They are often attracted to the product's design appearance or to the belief that the product can give them some sort of identity. People tend to like easy-to-use products, but you should not be able to conclude that a favorite product is easy.

Usability is about whether users can use the product to accomplish the tasks they need to accomplish. Usability testing primarily measures the performance of a product, rather than the user's preference for it. However, standardized surveys can be used to determine the user's preference for products.

Find vs get to know vs efficiency

There are many aspects of ease of use, but traditionally the term refers in particular to features such as "Discovery", "Understanding", and "efficiency".

Discovery (Discovery) involves users looking for a feature (feature) for a product based on their needs. Usability testing can determine how long it takes for a user to find a feature and how many errors the user will make in the search process (the wrong location).

"Understanding (Learning)" involves a process in which a user understands how to use a feature feature that has been discovered to accomplish the task at hand. Usability testing can determine how long this process will take and how many errors the user learns to make.

"Efficiency (efficiency)" involves a time when the user is already "proficient" in the functionality of the product and can use it no longer requires further study. Usability testing can determine how long it takes for an experienced user to use a feature to perform the required steps.

The nature of the tasks on hand and the frequency with which users perform tasks strongly affect the three basic aspects of ease of use. Some features are rarely used or so complex that users must essentially re-learn it every time, and for these features, Microsoft often guides the user through the wizard.

Slogan doesn't work

Software designers sometimes think of simple slogans like "Make products easier" that will help solve usability problems. It is important to have a positive attitude towards ease of use, but only by allowing the average user to test the product appropriately for ease of use, can it provide designers with the information they need to create a product that meets the needs of the user. "Making products easier" should be the motto of every software designer, but only if the designer understands the meaning of "ease of use". Testing for ordinary users is the most reliable way to determine ease of use.

Ease of use in software design