What is Usability?
Usability is the art and science of designing interactive systems that are easy to learn, efficient to use, flexible, and safe.
WFPA Usability Assessment
WorkForce Planning Associates apply usability design principles and methods that deliver simple and effective results in any process where there is interaction with a person. Our experience includes usability evaluation on information systems ranging from basic web site design to complex business work centers, from data entry to senior executive business analysis systems. Usability also applies to physical systems from manufacturing lines to flight decks and consumer products from digital cameras to kitchen appliances.
Although usability is rooted in sciences such as cognitive psychology, hardware and software engineering, it is essentially a practical business process, concerned with how people interact with processes and systems. We use a User-Centered Design process which is the industry standard approach to usability and actively involves members of the target group throughout the design process.
Process
> Applies Industry-standard Ergonomic and Human Interaction Principles to the Design of Products
> Examines Usefulness in the Content of Accomplishing the Actual Task
> Applies Real-Life Scenarios in a Controlled Environment, using Target Evaluators
Outcome
> Reduces cost
> Improves Productivity
> Increases Satisfaction
> Ensures that Business Need is Met
Applications
> Information delivery systems from standard paper letters to high end Internet information access.
> Computer Products from internal application systems to application products used by customers
> Product controls and panels from a basic display to a control center layout.
Learning Foundations from Psychology & Software Engineering
We know from psychology that when people tackle something new, they understand it in the light of their previous experience. When there is congruence between the designer and end user experience, the design feels intuitive. The challenge is that designs are often implicitly based on the viewpoint and experience of the designer and this experience is typically very different from that of the target group. For example, software engineers see the world as far more logical and abstract than most customers.
Business analysts who design products for customers are strongly influenced by the internal organization of their business and the internal view of their products. To build a design that feels natural to the target group, we need to work with members of the target group and collect feedback from them to understand how they see the product.
We also know from history that designers are fallible. User interface designers are no exception and recognize that their work also needs to be evaluated. Best practice is to (1) begin with the viewpoint of the target group, (2) design from the target group's point of view while integrating usability principles and (3) iteratively evaluate the designs during the development process by observing typical users using them in real work scenarios.
Exceptional Results
To consistently achieve exceptional results, usability professionals recommend three interlinked activities:
> Target group research
> Design
> Usability Evaluation
Through research, profiles are created that give us insight into target group and their activities. Profiles include information about goals, tasks, attitudes, motivation, skills, and experience of the different segments of the target group. Profiles also include environmental information that provides an understanding of the actual deployment environment. For example, the environmental challenges of a person accessing their bank account via the Internet at home is very different from the same application delivered to a commuter via their mobile phone in a crowded terminal.
During design we analyze the target profile data to create models of usage activity and information. Through the application of usability evaluation principles and creativity, we design evaluation scenarios that are grounded in the target group's world.
In the evaluation process, we often recruit members of the target group to assist in the evaluation process by working the product design prototype through the scenarios. These sessions where we present the design with a realistic set of tasks are observed and recorded for analysis by the usability and design teams.
Our Experience
In our experience, the process adds significant value when the design and evaluation tasks are integrated and iterative. For example, the initial evaluation might include sketches of design concepts, paper prototypes and engineering versions. Early evaluation enables the team to see design problems before the cost of rework and the pressure of on-time delivery limits options. The earlier that usability is applied to the design process, the greater the cost savings and the higher the target group satisfaction with the result.