7.2: Usability

7.2
Usability
Usability simply means how easy is a product to use for the user. 

     Usability Objectives
what you want in a product, with usability increased/enhanced, your product will more likely be accepted and widely used. ie uber services
Not fulfilling the usability objectives would leave for unsatisfactory users, and decreased positive ratings from users.

• USEFULNESS - does your product achieve its goals? Is it useful? Product should enable user to achieve the goals for the product.
• EFFECTIVENESS (ease of use) - how effective is it? it is quantitively measured 
• LEARNABILITY - is it easy to use? how hard is it for the user to operate the product? Is it easy to learn how to use the created product?
• ATTITUDE - does it make you feel good? how does the user percept the object, what are their feelings towards it

     Benefits of Enhanced Usability 

it increases product acceptance, user experience and productivity.

     Enhanced Usability Decreased

might cause user error, poor experiences and costs in training and support

Example user interfaces that are complex and possibly lack intuitiveness (from the user)

     Characteristics of good user-product interfaces

1. Simplicity - Products that are simple to use (the interface) will attract users/consumers opposed to complex and confusing controls.
2. Ease of use - Similar to simplicity, the interface should be easy to use and not excessively confusing
3. Intuitive logic and organization - you can use the product without external instructions. Helps the user to quickly become competent in the product operations (with a good design this can be achieved)
4. Low memory burden - Product should not cause a memory burden when it comes to remembering how to operate the product, for the convenience of the user. The user should be able to intuitively use the product without having to remember the full functionality of a product
5. Visibility - should be obvious in how the product works, the controls should be openly visible or obvious.
6. Feedback - a sound or something that happens that indicates an action has happened; provision of information 
7. Affordance - is the property of an object that indicates how it can be used. eg. buttons afford pushing, umbrellas afford you shelter, chairs affords support, etc. Good products would have a large amount of affordances and would provide the user with a lot of uses from the product.
8. Mapping - relates to the correspondence between the layout and the controls of the required action. This is the action of mapping/arranging the controls of the product so that it is clear to the user
9. Constraints - products are designed with in-built constraints, to ensure that they are inserted/used the right way (way to reduce user errors)

     Population stereotypes

items vary depending on countries and the location of the product. consumers in different places might react differently to products.

Wall plugs differ across the world, the population strategy would work in this scenario

     advantages:

• allows for quick associations and predictions (about behaviour or possible use) to be made about a group of people 
• user needs and behaviour can be identified and thus usability considerations are met 

     disadvantages:

• generalisation of the population might not mean accurately fitting all people of the population. preferences could differ between users.
• judgements could be incorrect.