Usability is the basic pillar of the quality of software, websites and services. It can be used to improve user experience, increase customer satisfaction and increase business value.

Here are the five most important things to keep in mind to ensure usability.

Clarity and simplicity

The first step to good usability is the clarity of the user interface. Every element of the user interface should be intuitive and easy to understand. An overly complex structure or confusing instructions make the user experience challenging, and the user may quickly become frustrated and move elsewhere. A simple user interface with minimal extra elements helps the user to navigate the service effortlessly.

Importance of testing: Usability testing helps to find out whether the user interface is sufficiently clear and simple. The testers’ observations can indicate points that need trimming or clarification.

Accessibility and ease of use for all user groups

Accessibility ensures that the service can be used by as many people as possible, including people with special needs, such as visual or hearing impairments. This means sufficient text contrast, clear descriptions and alternative navigation methods. Taking accessibility into account not only increases the usability of the service, but also opens doors to a wider user base.

Significance of testing: Accessibility testing reveals how well the service is accessible to different user groups. User tests with people with special needs provide valuable information on how the user interface works in different environments and usage situations.

Speed ​​and smoothness

In terms of usability, it is important that the service works quickly and without interruptions. Long loading times and slow responsive pages cause users to quickly switch to other services. The user experience suffers significantly if the user has to wait repeatedly or if the service does not work as expected.

Significance of testing: Usability testing helps to identify points where the service may slow down or crash. Testing with different devices and connections reveals problems that may go unnoticed if testing is not done extensively enough.

Feedback and guidance

Good usability includes clear instructions and feedback for the user. Users should know what the consequences of their actions are and how they should act in situations where they are uncertain. In addition to this, the user must receive sufficient feedback, for example confirmations that the functions have been performed correctly.

Importance of testing: Testers can assess whether the amount of feedback is sufficient and whether the instructions are clear. Different scenarios of user events, such as error situations, reveal how well guidance and feedback work in real use situations.

Usability testing: The cornerstone of the process

The last and perhaps most important aspect of usability is the actual usability testing . Testing is a crucial factor that enables continuous improvement of the service before and after the release. It helps to ensure that the service works as planned and that the user experience is effortless.

Usability testing can be used to collect valuable feedback from users and detect problems that the designers themselves have not noticed.

A high-quality test can reveal unexpected problems and give tips on how to improve the service. Usability testing should be done with real users, and it should cover all the most important usage situations in order to make the service as functional and user-friendly as possible.

In summary

Improving usability is a continuous process, and the most important elements, such as clarity, accessibility, speed, feedback and, above all, testing, are at the heart of it. The role of testing is central because it reveals in practice how well the service works in real use.