Usability in Software Design

Hello all. Today I would to share with you some interesting information about usability in software design. From the words itself “usability”, that is mean we putting the usability to work. We focus more on the user rather than the system; user centric, rather than data centric.

Usability is one of the stages of user centered development. During the development stages, we should examine several questions for this context.

Is this function will be usable to the user? /hmm

What will be the degree of usability of this function can work on? /hmm

This definition related with user centered design by looking through the user perspective and point of view. We involve user during the design process by carrying out early testing and evaluation with users and the design that take places iteratively.

As example, student identity card. What will be the degree of usability to the students? Before they university release it, the responsible department should conduct a pre-test in which the students work and interact with the product interface and share their views and concerns with the designers and developers.

Now I would like to drag your attention to why there is a need for user centered design in software or web application?

Who wants to deal with such complicated web application? Please raise your hands. From my point of view, human beings have the tendency to works on simple things that would make life easier. In order to attract user attention for the software and web application, the developers and designers should be more concern on user centered design aspects.