What is Usability and How Does it Affect You?

USABILITY
WHAT IS USABILITY AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?

STUDIOK&M THE DESIGN & USABILITY EXPERTS .

www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076

WHAT IS
USABILIT Y?
USABILITY MEANS THAT
SOMEONE SHOULD BE
ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
AND ACCOMPLISH A
TASK INTUITIVELY
WITHOUT THOUGHT
OR FRUSTRATION.


FORM VS
FUNCTION

Sure, both of these tea pots are nice to look
at, but which one is more useable?

Usability is all about the experience,
be it in a tea salon or on the web.


DON’T MAK E
ME THINK.
Steve Krug’s first law of usability states that
a web page should be obvious and self-
explanatory. Be sure the navigation and site
structure are intuitive. Have visual clues and
easily recognizable links so that users can
find what they are looking for.


THINGS
THAT
MAKE US
THINK •
•
Where do I start?
What do they do?
• Clever names/Marketing induced names
• Links that are not self evident
• Navigation in non traditional places
• Where’s the contact info?
• Where do I sign in?


WHAT DO USERS LOOK
FOR IN A WEBSITE?

WEB •
•
•
Ease of use
Speed
Practicality
USABILIT Y •
•
Credibility
Consistency
• Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
With billions of websites on the internet
today, your competitors are only a click away.
If you don’t help your users accomplish their
goals, they are bound to head straight to
your competitor.

A usable website creates trust in your
customers and a sense of satisfaction.


YOU HAVE LESS THAN

T WO MINUTES
TO COMMUNICATE
THE FIRST TIME
A PROSPECTIVE
CUSTOMER VISITS
YOUR WEBSITE.

Every page must justify its claim on their
time. If a page doesn’t do that immediately
and clearly, users go elsewhere.

Most don’t even bother scrolling to see
what’s further down the page.


NAVIGATION
Your navigation system should be simple and
clear. Your users should not have to ask the
following questions:

Where am I?

Where should I begin?

Where did they put ______?

What are the most important
things on this page?

Why did they call it that?


WHERE
DOES THIS IMPROVING NAVIGATION
LINK GO? • Users must be able to predict what will
happen if a link is clicked and determine
whether or not it takes them to their goal.
• Information should be organized in a
logical manner.
• The language and organization of the
navigational path must match the user’s
expectations and needs
• The use of ambiguous links can cause
the user to go to the wrong page.
• The use of nonstandard links can cause
confusion.


MORE THAN 83%
OF INTERNET USERS ARE
LIKELY TO LEAVE A WEB
SITE IF THEY FEEL THEY
HAVE TO MAKE
TOO MANY CLICKS
TO FIND WHAT THEY’RE
LOOKING FOR.
-Arthur Andersen, 2001


USABILIT Y
TIPS DO
• Know your end user
• Abbreviate your copy-make it scannable
• Use short & concise phrases
• Use plain & objective language
• Use bullet points
• Let users know why they should use your service
• Let users know why should they stay on your site
• Use hierarchy
• Categorize the content
• Use spell check
• Test your site
• Check for consistency: fonts, styling, formatting,
window titles, link colors
• Be sure your site loads quickly


MORE
USABILITY
TIPS
DON’T
• Use pop-ups
• Don’t change user’s window size
• Don’t use too small font size
• Don’t use horizontal scrolling
• Don’t create a site that requires
instructions on how to browse
• Don’t make people wait

FREE E XPERT
USA BILIT Y
RE VIE WS

STUDIOK&M THE DESIGN & USABILITY EXPERTS .

Schedule a 30 minute free telephone review
Email: cathline@studiokandm.com
Read our blog for usability & design tips:
studiokandm.com/blog
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