Online Questions Related to ‘Usability’

We combined those related to ‘usability’ together, and then provided the best answers given by the top three search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo).  The following three questions were related to ‘usability’.

• What is usability?
• What is web usability?
• What is usability testing?

We put the responses to the ‘user interface’ and ‘user experience’ questions in different posts.

What is usability?

Usable: capable of being used, or in good enough condition to be used [merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usable]

‘Usabililty’ is how effectively, efficiently and satisfactorily a user can interact with a user interface. [usability.gov/what-and-why/glossary/u/index.html]

‘Usability’ is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object. The object of use can be a software application, website, book, tool, machine, process, or anything with which a human interacts. Usability differs from user satisfaction and user experience because usability also considers usefulness. There are many methods for measuring usability. [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability]

‘Usability’ means making products and systems easier to use, and matching them more closely to user needs and requirements. It also includes the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. [usabilitynet.org/management/b_what.htm]

‘Usability’ is the measure of a product’s potential to accomplish the goals of the user. The term is often used in relation to software applications and websites, but it can be used in relation to any product that is employed to accomplish a task (for example, a toaster, a car dashboard, or an alarm clock). Some factors used in determining product usability are ease-of-use, visual consistency, and a clear, defined process for evolution. [searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/usability]

What is web usability?

‘Web Usability’ is the measure of the quality of a customer’s experience when they interact with a website. [howto.gov/web-content/usability/principles-and-techniques]

‘Web usability’ refers to the attractiveness and ease-of-use of websites or web applications. Developers should create websites that provide users with an outstanding user experience. [webusability.com]

In human-computer interaction, ‘web usability’ studies the elegance and clarity with which the interaction with a website is designed. [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability]

‘Web usability’ is the ease of use of a web site. Some broad goals of usability are the presentation of information and choices in a clear and concise way, a lack of ambiguity, and the placement of important items in appropriate areas. Another big concern for usability is that the website is appropriate for intended users. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_usability]

What is usability testing?

‘Usability testing’ is a technique used in user-centered interaction design to evaluate a product by testing it on users. This can be seen as an irreplaceable usability practice, since it gives direct input on how real users use the system. This is in contrast with usability inspection methods where experts use different methods to evaluate a user interface without involving users. [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability_testing]

‘Usability testing’ is a systematic observation under controlled conditions to evaluate how well testers can complete critical tasks. Having the ability to record testers, to see their interactions and hear their thoughts (the Think Out Loud method) is critical to the observation process. It is also important to be able to edit those recordings, so that key insights can be shared with others in the form of highlight reels. [usefulusability.com/14-usability-testing-tools-matrix-and-comprehensive-reviews/]

‘Usability testing’ is a method by which potential users of a product are asked to perform certain tasks in an effort to measure the product’s ease-of-use, task time, and the user’s perception of the experience. Usability testing can be done in a usability lab with video cameras, or remotely. In formal tests, usability test participants are usually encouraged to think aloud during the test. Changes are made to the application or site based on the findings of the usability tests. [searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/usability]

‘Usability testing’ refers to evaluating a product or service by testing it with representative users. Typically, during a test, participants will try to complete typical tasks while observers watch, listen and takes notes.  The goal is to identify any usability problems, collect qualitative and quantitative data and determine the participant’s satisfaction with the product. [usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/usability-testing.html]