UX Study Note 2: Usability & User Centered Design

Last study note summarized that one of the key factors of the website is usability. What is usability? Does usability equal to user experience? Can business always meet users’ needs?What does a great user experience look like?

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Key Study Notes from Course:

• Usability:

1. Usability simply looks after the efficiency of a user, the ease in which the user can complete their task, and how satisfied they are with that task.
2. The relationship between Usability and User Experience: Usability is a subset of the user experience.
3. User Experiences is not only about the above three terms of usability, but it also about the experience the user has, about the emotions, and about the motivation that comes with the user using the interface.
4. The standard of usability talks about:
   1. the user
   2. the task
   3. the equipment
   4. the environment
5. The most effective way of improving the usability of a product or service is involving users. There’s a methodology known as User Centred Design, which is all about putting the user at the center of the design process.

• User Centred Design

1. Three core phase to user centered design:
   1. research-Understand:the user needs, business goals & objectives, and prioritization
   2. design (core element)-Information design, interaction design, and visual design
   3. evaluation-testing and review
2. The benefit of user centered design is that:
   1. it’s scalable
   2. it’s flexible
   3. it’s repeatable
3. Six key principles of Standard for Human Centred Design:
   1. About user’s tasks and environment
   2. users are always involved in the process
   3. Driven and refined through evaluation
   4. Interactive
   5. Addresses the whole user experience
   6. The team is multidisciplinary

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Learning Insights:

In the past, I thought user experience all about create a great experience for users and make them feel happy and simple.

But now, I changed my mind. Even though it is necessary to meet users’needs and to put users in the center, it is also very important to achieve business goals and objectives.

Sometimes what kind of user experiences that business will design not only depends on users’ needs but also depends on product and service purpose. Moreover, having enough budget is also an important element which business should consider.

Of course, brands want to make users happy and love their products & services, but it doesn’t mean they will compromise everything for users. For business, the main purpose of UX design is to make money. Creating a fantastic UX is definitely a ” Big Plus “for users, but it is not a “Must” for them. Sometimes, when your company offers great products or super promotion, and customers love your products, they may not care too much on UX. At this time, all they care is your products and deals.

Overall, according to the course, "a great user experience essentially balances the needs of both business and users to provide the best outcome."