http://www.webword.com/wp/2008/07/16/what-is-usability/ The usability blog of John S. Rhodes Sun, 17 Oct 2010 00:45:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.webword.com/wp/2008/07/16/what-is-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-212036 Yoav Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:06:50 +0000 http://www.webword.com/wp/2008/07/16/what-is-usability/#comment-212036 How about the following definition: Users need to handle two basic problems: What should I do? Which is defined by the user (or for the user by someone else) and how do I do it? Which is defined by the application creator. Better usability results in less allocation of mental resources to answer this question. So, basically, usability is about reducing the users’ mental burden by providing good answers to the ‘how’ problem, thus allowing them to concentrate on the ‘what’ problem How about the following definition:
Users need to handle two basic problems:
What should I do? Which is defined by the user (or for the user by someone else) and how do I do it? Which is defined by the application creator.
Better usability results in less allocation of mental resources to answer this question.
So, basically, usability is about reducing the users’ mental burden by providing good answers to the ‘how’ problem, thus allowing them to concentrate on the ‘what’ problem

]]> http://www.webword.com/wp/2008/07/16/what-is-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-212006 Dave Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:17:27 +0000 http://www.webword.com/wp/2008/07/16/what-is-usability/#comment-212006 I can't learn your answer to "What is usability?" because videos aren't usable. : ) I can’t learn your answer to “What is usability?” because videos aren’t usable. : )

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