The Process Of Usability

Every project is unique - and in the same way, each addresses a unique set of users, with their own needs, requirements and methods of working. The only method of ensuring that development addresses these individual and distinct issues is by undertaking a user-centred design process.

There is no doubt that 'usability', for want of a better word, is in danger of becoming an IT buzzword. At long last the industry is becoming aware of the paramount importance of the user interface when designing software or Internet products. This new interest reflects a growing need to differentiate IT products in other ways than through feature sets or performance. As products and services mature, the way they interact with the user and the satisfaction they provide in use become increasingly important considerations for companies seeking competitive advantage.

Increased awareness can only be a good thing. But there is also a growing perception that good 'usability' involves little more than following a strict set of rules during the design of an interface. There is no doubt, of course, that certain rules are pretty reliable guidelines for those involved in interface design. Many of them can be found on this website. In as far as these rules go, they are useful. They should help designers to avoid some of the more common mistakes. But following 'rules' alone is not sufficient to guarantee success.

Above all, good usability engineering is a process, not a rulebook. Objections to the process of interface design are often based on the belief that either the usability professional or even the well-read amateur will have the necessary knowledge to design usable interfaces. But the expert is always the user themselves. Rules can stop the most common mistakes being made - only the user can ensure that websites, applications etc, really perform the tasks they want effectively and efficiently.

Despite what they might tell you, usability professionals are not experts in users' needs. They are (or should be) experts in finding out users' needs and translating that into good design. That is why the process cannot be bypassed, and why activities such as user-requirement gathering and iterative user testing are essential to good interface design.

Every project is unique - and in the same way, each addresses a unique set of users, with their own needs, requirements and methods of working. There is no set of rules or instructions that will be relevant for every target audience or range of tasks. The only method of ensuring that development addresses these individual and distinct issues is by undertaking a user-centred design process.

The first step for any organisation implementing a usability strategy is an acceptance that designers, no matter how well informed, do not know best. Once this attitude is truly adopted, the need for requirements gathering, testing and other user feedback becomes apparent and little more than common sense.