Usability 101: Introduction to Usability

This article gives us a better understanding on USABILITY and its benefits on a web site and intranets.

The term usability is referred to how easy it is for a user to get around in a particular web site looking from five different points:

• Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
• Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
• Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
• Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?
• Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

It also talks a little bit about UTILITY, a key attribute for the functionality of a web site. Usability is also very important. For an e-commerce web site, usability will have a huge impact on the business profits and expenses. A good way to make sure that your web site or intranet is user friendly is to test its usability by having at least five people performing specific tasks that imitate what the real users would do on the web site or intranet. Those tests can be done simply by having the testers in a conference room or office, making sure that the doors are closed and no distractions are allowed.