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The single, biggest mistake that designers make about usability, and what you can do about it.

Overview

As designers, we are constantly bludgeoned to death with the term “usability,” so much so that I am afraid for many it has lost its true meaning.

Today, we’re going over the biggest mistake that designers make about usability, and what you can do about it.

Understanding Usability

So what exactly is usability?

Essentially, usability is a user’s ability to use the solution that you have designed for them in a way that delivers the desired results for that user.

Great. What’s there to misunderstand?

The issue here is that usability often becomes synonymous with the word “good,” in our minds. Run usability test, pass? Good, solution is good.

Here’s the rub though:

“Usable” does NOT mean “good.”

A shovel is a usable solution that will pass a usability test for helping a user dig a hole.

The problem is that while it makes digging a hole easier, digging that hole is still incredibly painful for the user, especially as it gets wider and deeper.

The same thing happens with your solution. The user will use it, derive results, tell you it works, and that they “liked,” it and think it will “work,” but I guarantee if you’re getting those answers, you’re more than likely asking the wrong question.

The “C-Factor” Solution

Here’s the real question you should be asking: “how convenient is my solution for the user to use?”

The thing is that you can have a “solution” that “works” but isn’t convenient at all to use, and I have seen it happen many times where a product is usable, it works, and it delivers results, but its super inconvenient to use.

Never forget that just because a solution “does the thing,” doesn’t mean that it “does the thing well,” or “does it conveniently.”

We must focus on delivering optimal value by making sure that our solution does what its supposed to do, it does it well, and it does it in a way that is convenient for the user.

It must be good. It must work, and it MUST be convenient.

Nick Lawrence Design
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