Usability in Plain English! (Part 1/2)

So in the series of explaining UI UX in PLAIN English, this is a little bit lenghty one. So I have decided to break this down to two parts. In this article, we’re going to understand usability principles using simple language and real-life examples. Whether you’re a design newbie or just curious about how apps and websites become so darn user-friendly, this article has got you covered. But if you’re already familiar with usability principles and more interested to learn how to apply them in real-life projects, feel free to skip ahead to part two where we’ll dive into exactly that.

Lets get started. So, picture this: you’ve just launched a shiny new mobile app into the world, full of bells and whistles that you just know users are gonna love. But instead of rave reviews and high-fives, you’re met with confusion and frustration. Leading to poor reviews and low user retention.

Usability is a measure of how well a specific user in a specific context can use a product or design to achieve a defined goal effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily. Or in simple words, how easily someone can use your product to do what they wanna do, without banging their head against the wall in frustration. there’s a whole bunch of principles that go into making that happen. While all principles of usability are important, this article emphasizes some of the key principles in plain English.

Simplicity & Aesthetic Integrity: The Cornerstone of Usability

Consider this scenario: Think of it like this: you’re building a meditation app with more features than you can shake a stick at. You might think this app has everything and users will love using it. But instead of that all those bells and whistles just leave users scratching their heads. This is where the principle of Simplicity & Aesthetic Integrity comes into play. The app should have a clean, beautiful design that’s as easy on the eyes as it is on the brain. Aesthetically pleasing designs can also enhance the user’s overall experience, making them more likely to continue using the product.

Learnability & Ease of Learning: First Timers & Encouraging Repeat Usage

Let’s take one of the most common examples for this. Imagine downloading a new photo editing app and feeling like you need a PhD just to increase the brightness. Not fun, right? This is where the principle of Learnability comes into play. The app should be designed in such a way that new users can quickly understand how to use it.

After a break, you return to the app. You want to quickly apply filters, adjust contrast, and crop photos. Ease of Learning ensures that users can pick up where they left off without frustration. It’s like returning to a familiar neighborhood — you remember shortcuts and street names.

Efficiency: Streamlining User Experience

Ever tried to buy something online and felt like you needed a guide to navigate through all the unnecessary steps and fill out those long forms? Yeah, not a great user experience. You should identify the reasons why your user is there for and fulfill their need as efficiently as possible. Efficiency is all about streamlining the user experience removing or deprioritizing any unnecessary steps in their way.

Engagement: Captivating Your Users

Picture this: you’re trying to get yourself in gear and hit the gym, but your fitness tracking app is about as motivating as a wet sock. Yeah, not gonna get you off the couch, is it? This is where the principle of Engagement is crucial. The app should be fun and delightful to use that users just can’t get enough.

Error Tolerance: Forgiving User Mistakes

You’re using a banking app. We all are human and we make errors often. You accidentally press the wrong button, but instead of a friendly “Oops, let’s fix that” message, you’re met with radio silence. This is where the principle of Error Tolerance is needed. The app should try to prevent errors where possible and provide helpful feedback and opportunities to get them back on track.

User Control and Freedom: Empowering Your Users

Ever used a music streaming app that only lets you listen to songs on shuffle? This is where the principle of User Control and Freedom is important. You should clearly identify user needs and pain points and allow customization for the users to make their own decisions and control their own experience at least up to a certain point.

Recognition vs. Recall: Assisting Your Users

You’re using a travel booking app, but the app requires you to remember specific details about your travel plans instead of providing you with needed information through the interface. The app should assist with reducing short-term memory load of the user, so they don’t have to rely solely on their memory.

Mental Model: Aligning with User Expectations

Imagine you’re using a weather forecasting app, but instead of using familiar weather symbols and terminology, it presents meteorological mumbo jumbo. Unless we are meteorologists this is where the principle of Mental Model becomes crucial. You should always remember, users spend most of their time on applications and websites other than yours. Thus, a big part of customers’ mental models of your app will be influenced by information gleaned from other apps. People expect apps and websites to act alike.

Clarity: Communicating Effectively

You’re using a recipe app to cook dinner, but the app presents the cooking instructions more like a novel with no clear organization. Not exactly helpful when you’re trying to whip up a quick meal. Clarity is all about presenting information in a clear and organized manner, so users can find what they need when they need it.By enhancing clarity in the presentation of information, the app can make it easier for users to follow recipes and cook with confidence, ultimately improving the overall user experience. Also retaining that user for the next in house dinner.

Phew, that’s a mouthful! So, UX principles does provide a useful framework, but are they one-size-fits-all rules ?. Should they be adapted and prioritized according to the specific needs and context of each app ?. We will discuss throughly in the part 2 of this topic.

Cheers,