Usability Fundamentals. Introduction to Usability

We offer you a translation of an article about ground rules and principles on which usability is built, published on the SmashingMagazine blog (with our additions and comments to boot).

Each developer who respects himself and his clients in the matter of creating a web project acts from the position of synergy of his own vision and the opinions of customers into a single high-quality product. The hardest part is correcting wrong ideas and bad suggestions coming from outside. To make this possible, you must clearly convey your own point of view, supported by both fundamental principles of usability and recommendations based on your own experience.

That is why this article discusses the most basic rules, principles and recommendations regarding usability.

2 second rule

One of the most basic rules of usability. The user will not wait for a response from the system for more than two seconds. The value “2” itself was chosen arbitrarily, however, in the process of tracking the page loading speed of the site, it was able to defend itself.

IN general case the slower the page loading speed, the better. This applies to projects of any complexity. After all, there is always the opportunity to compete for extra fractions of a second. Who knows, maybe they will help your visitor see your offer.

Rule 7±2

This rule was put forward by George Miller, who conducted research on human brain, namely, over its ability to perceive and process incoming information. So, as a result, results were obtained that indicate that short-term memory is capable of holding from 5 to 9 entities.

Integrating the results obtained into the field of site building, we can talk about the limiting values ​​of the number of elements in the navigation menu. At the same time, many webmasters argue that there should be no more than 7 such elements. In turn, there is an alternative point of view that says that such a statement is not true for all projects (large portals and online stores). If we talk about, say, an ordinary site, then the rule can be considered quite workable.

3 click rule

Many people know about this rule. It is perhaps the most widely used. Its essence is that the user, having got to the main page of the site in search of information, must make no more than 3 clicks and get to the desired content.

Speaking in human terms, navigation should be simple and not intricate, so that the user can find what he is looking for in the shortest possible time.

This rule is not official, but conditional. For most sites, it is quite reasonable.

For some resources, the comprehensibility of the system is provided, for example, by 10 transitions. The main thing is that the user is comfortable, and he clearly understands in which direction he should move.

Pareto rule or 80/20 principle

The bottom line is that 20% of user actions result in 80% of the overall effect . This rule comes from a business environment where "20% of customers account for 80% of a company's sales." At the same time, in the field of usability and ecommerce this rule no less relevant. You should identify these 20% of your audience and increase attention to their needs by creating the most comfortable conditions for them to work with the site.

6 rules for website and app design development

Ben Schneiderman, conducted research aimed at studying the interactions between humans and computers. As a result, on their basis, the fundamental principles of design development were formulated:

• The logic of the location and presence of each element;
• Users are divided into ordinary and advanced. For the second group, it is necessary to create opportunities for more fast work: special abilities(for example, the implementation RSS feeds), hotkeys, shortcuts, etc.
• The visitor of the site or application must be sure that all interaction between him and your product is under his full control;
• Try not to overload short term memory users;
• Through your product, you enter into a kind of dialogue with your visitor. This dialogue must be completed;
• Implement easily accessible and informative feedback.

inverted pyramid

inverted pyramid- such a style of writing, as a result of which the main idea is brought to the fore and can be read at the very beginning of the article. In fact, the article will begin with a conclusion, and after it, in turn, the main key points. Least important information should be presented at the bottom of the article.

The emergence of this style of presentation is explained by the fact that in the dynamic world of the Internet, users want to find answers in the shortest possible time intervals. At the same time, if the visitor is immediately interested in the content of the article, he is more likely to finish it.

Subjective satisfaction

Evaluating the actions of users, it can be noted that, as a rule, they choose not the most optimal path, but the most acceptable one. Those. in search of a solution, they may be satisfied with the fastest and far from the best answer.

The average user will look for a solution that will satisfy their primary needs for information on a specific request, and will not look for alternative solutions, which could potentially cover related issues and provide him with information for a longer period of time.

In custody

Thus, based on the above information, you can form a basic understanding of the principles, recommendations and basic both public and unspoken rules of usability.

It is important to understand that the user does not want to think. He does not want to think about how to perform this or that action on the site. Therefore, focus on ease of implementation and intuitive things that will be kind of pointers on the visitor's path to the goal.

If you have additions to the presented, recommendations or comments, we will be grateful if you share them with us in the comments.

Usability (from the English usability - "ease of use) is qualitative assessment simplicity and comfort of working with the site. The user should be able to easily find necessary information, without getting lost in the functionality and numerous pages, and at the same time get aesthetic pleasure from working with the resource.

Why is it important to follow the principles of website usability?

• Conversion. Properly thought-out navigation will push the user to perform the target action: call the company, download the price list, order a product, use the service, etc. It is important to correctly build the narrative and structure, because if the visitor thinks for at least a few seconds or does not immediately understand what to do next, you can lose him. For example, if, having got to the main page, from the very first lines, he does not learn about the scope of the company, does not find out where he is and what to do next, he will close the tab without regrets. If he does not find detailed answers to his questions in the form of an article, video, graphics, the same thing will happen.
• Attendance. The user will return to the site only if he enjoys working with it. That is why the resource should be convenient and understandable from all positions: text, navigation, interface, sequence of actions, etc. Due to the abundance of choice, the modern consumer does not have to figure out the intricacies of working with the site for a long time: it’s difficult here - he will go to competitors who have it clearer and easier.

Web resource usability principles

Website usability development is based on the main rule: “the simpler the better”. The more familiar structure and interface the user sees, the easier it is for him to navigate and the less time he will spend to find the desired section, because. will feel more confident.

1. Design is the key to trust in the site

Do not overload the visual part with a lot of details, colors and dynamic elements. Nothing should distract the user from the perception of information. And with a long stay on the resource, he should not get tired of the abundance of contrast, poor readability of the text, diverse graphics. The emphasis is on a minimalist design: in addition to uniqueness, you should consider the combination of background and font colors, the number and type of images.

One more important point: well thought out appearance» site - a pledge of trust on the part of the consumer who came to you for the first time. Ease and accessibility of use, color combinations, style that suits your target audience pictures, content quality, lack of errors - all this affects the location of the resource.

An example of a site oversaturated with graphics. The design is replete with color combinations that scatter attention, an abundance of pictures.

2. Logical Structured Content

One of the main usability factors is the comfortable perception of texts. Structure, design, information content, logical breakdown, optimization, absence of errors - all these parameters are important to consider when writing an article. If it's a long text-guide - make the table of contents in the form of links so that the user can quickly find the desired section.

According to reports from Clicktale and CX Partners, page length does not affect whether a user will explore the content below or not. More important is a well-thought-out structure of graphics and text: highlighting priority information, sequencing.

3. Important information - in the left corner

Visitors browsing web page in an F-pattern: attention is concentrated in the upper left corner and limited to the first few paragraphs of text in descending order. Therefore, when distributing important information, the use of such a scheme will increase the likelihood that the visitor will quickly find the necessary data, see the most important, briefly skimming through the section with a glance.

4. Communication with the user

Successful registration, accepted order, non-existent page - a person should always be aware of what is happening. And in every detail. If it is registered in the system - tell us what to do next if the order is accepted: indicate the number, call waiting time, contact details; if you landed on a 404 page - how to find the information you need or where to return.

Once on such a 404 page, the user will not be confused and, most likely, will not immediately leave the resource.

5. Undo

A person should be able to change their mind. For instance, social network VKontakte allows you to restore a page after deleting it. Some online stores - change or delete the order after it is placed, adjust the method of delivery and payment. All of these are part of the usability of a website.

6. Unobtrusive offer of help

No need to insist on communication. Large pop-up windows offering help in choosing, a colored bar with a phone number occupying a third of the screen - such elements not only look intrusive, repel the visitor, but also close part of the functionality. In the example below - the product selection form. The help window should be easy to hide, so the crosses and other such icons should be visible, not translucent or blending into the background.

It is better that initially given form was in a folded state, but at the same time noticeable - for example, in the form of a bright side tab. And at the same time, it did not overlap part of the content on the page. The latter applies to social media buttons as well.

7. Speaking in plain language

Do not focus on specialized terms - speak simply so that the user does not have to spend time interpreting an incomprehensible word. If you cannot do without narrow concepts, explanations, develop pop-up windows. The same applies to filling out forms: if you dictate certain conditions in the form of the length of the name, password, phone format, acceptable geography - indicate this in the form of hints.

8. Refusal of abrupt changes

This applies to menu items, the name and type of buttons, their location. Imagine a reshuffle in your favorite supermarket: after a year of daily shopping, you suddenly notice that management has decided to swap departments, products, and redesign. And now milk is on the counter for sour cream, porridge - where there used to be butter, and instead of frozen cherries you find pork kidneys. Pointers have become more beautiful, but completely different - like the usual discount icons. Bottom line: you get lost and spend much more time than usual to learn a new design and orient yourself, get used to it again.

The same applies to web design: the user will not only spend more time, but will also be disappointed, noting that instead of the cart icon now - "Add product", instead of "Catalog" - "Products", and the usual three-dimensional buttons of the streamlined button have become flat and chopped. Therefore, having conceived a “rearrangement”, do not shock the visitor - the changes should be gradual and not radically change the usual structure.

9. All the possibilities - in plain sight

A good solution is when the user sees all the sections that he can go to, because. at any time, he can quickly find out where he is and how to get back. If a lot of content is planned on the site, it is reasonable to provide a horizontal top, vertical menu(both - possibly with subsections), as well as "basement". If we are talking about a minimalistic "business card" or landing page- only the top horizontal menu is enough.

If there are a lot of categories, add the "Site Map" item, which will allow the user to find out which sections the resource contains and how to get there. Don't neglect" bread crumbs» - navigation chain at the top of the content block, which tells you how the person got to the page.

Example lucky card site

10. Registration and order form: the more concise, the better

The more fields to fill in - the more less user want to spend time on it. Moreover, the layout of fields, inscriptions, the selection of fonts can be ideal, but the length is repulsive. Modern usability fundamentals force web developers to cut the length of these forms to a minimum, mercilessly throwing out questions about education, income level, profession, and so on. But! Compare the two forms: despite the presence of only a couple of additional fields, you want to fill out the first one less than the second. Not to mention the requirement to provide a phone number.

11. Noticeable long search box

The corresponding button is best helper visitor. Especially when it comes to a large resource. The user should find the search string without difficulty. So that at the first acquaintance he does not spend even a few seconds on finding the corresponding line.

Another important point is the length of the search field. According to Jakob Nielsen's research, the average size is 18 characters, and the optimal length is 27 characters. In 90% of cases, even long query so that the user can see it in full and correct it if necessary. To set the desired width, use the relative unit "em", equal to the size of the font used.

The search bar is not in the header of the site, but under the presentation, at the bottom of the page. Not the most convenient option, given that the user automatically searches for this option at the top of the site.

12. More free space

The site can be compared to a living room: if each square meter busy with something - a person will feel uncomfortable. Similarly here: if the page is full useful blocks, sections, remarks and other information - the visitor will get lost and will not understand where to focus his attention in the first place. Modern design prone to minimalism: on the page - only the most important.

A lot of blocks with almost imperceptible frames, an abundance of various graphics, and the lack of prioritization of information do not make it clear what to pay attention to first of all when you get to the site.

After all the principles of usability are taken into account, they move on to testing, which is carried out constantly, because. any mistake can alienate a potential client.

Usability Testing

The new interface is evaluated from two perspectives:

• Quality. This category analyzes the functionality of the resource, the target orientation, the literacy of the structure and preparation of content, as well as other parameters listed in the previous section. It is important to check the site for errors: broken links, redirects, the appearance of the 404 page, etc.
• Quantitative. It evaluates page loading speed, response time, transition between pages, search desired section or buttons.

Testing is carried out independently or with the help of special services- for example, Yandex.Metrica. To evaluate usability on your own, you need to spend a little time: recruit a group of 5-6 people from the category of target users, prepare tasks and questions for them about the operation of the resource, draw conclusions from the results obtained, correct the errors found. After changes the focus group should be reassembled.

It is important to apply the usability rules not at the very last moment: the sooner the developer starts planning the structure and appearance of the future resource, the more aspects he will think over, the better result he will receive and he will be able to make all the adjustments without haste. You should first analyze the sites of competitors, identifying their weak and strengths, as well as evaluate the previous resource, if available, by finding points that need improvement.

The article was prepared by Victoria Zakirova.

The term "usability" refers to the convenience of the site for the user. Today it is very important parameter, which can seriously affect the promotion of the resource. If the site is user-friendly, then he will spend more time on it, which affects behavioral factors, which, in turn, are reflected in positions in search engines, and they pay more and more attention to user actions, it can be assumed that over time this the trend will only intensify.

When it comes to sites with several pages (business card sites, etc.), they rarely think seriously about usability - there is no need for this. Enough good design and content. But in the case of large and complex projects over usability, you have to break your head very seriously.

Why is it needed

According to various studies, on average, people spend about 30 seconds on one page. In addition, few users view the page to the end. This is explained huge amount sites, many of which contain useless or bad information. People are used to it, and they need to be hooked literally in the first seconds.

In addition, a person should easily navigate the resource, navigation should be intuitive. In this area, there are a number of standard and effective solutions but I will talk about them below.

It turns out that a site with good usability should immediately capture the user's attention and keep him, and also allow him to easily get into any section, even if he is on your resource for the first time.

Many developers are looking to simple solutions, which is absolutely correct. IN this case simplicity is the key to success. In some cases, simplicity is sacrificed out of necessity, but you always need to be very careful. For example, green text on a black background will definitely attract attention, but it will be inconvenient for anyone to use such a site.

We make a user-friendly website

How does a person perceive information?

Jakob Nielsen conducted a study during which he created a map of the user's gaze on the site. Most people perceive information like this:

The image shows that people are looking into left side screen. It happens subconsciously. That is why the menu and other most important elements on the site they are most often added to the left side. This has already become the standard, so in this case it is not worth inventing anything new. People are used to the fact that the menu will be either on the left or at the top of the site. Other solutions may disorient the person.

Three click rule

A long time ago, someone came up with the three-click rule, according to which a user must go from any page of the site to any other with no more than three clicks. Obviously, for resources complex structure it won't fit. Example: " Main page– shop – bicycles – mountain bikes – brand”. It already turns out that a person needs to make four clicks. But in this case, it cannot be said that this is bad.

If you exclude any item, for example, "mountain bikes", then the user will have too many products on the page, some of which he does not need (for example, road bikes). This example shows that on sites with big amount pages and a complex structure, you need to think not about three clicks (or any other number), but about the convenience of the user.

About navigation

• the presence of a logo at the top of the screen, which leads to the main page;
• contact information is in the footer if we are talking about a selling site;
• links should be visually different from the text.

It is foolish not to follow these rules. Simply because all users are already used to them. Their observance can be called the basics of usability in the field of navigation, it’s definitely not worth inventing anything here, unless it is required non-standard solutions in the field of design, but these are already special cases.

If the site a large number of pages, you must do an internal search. Usually the line is placed on the right upper corner(like on my site). If the number of pages does not exceed 900-1000, then it will be enough simple search, and if there are many more, then it makes sense to do complex search(error correction, search suggestions etc.). At the same time, you should never try to replace bad navigation internal search. The ability to quickly find the information you need is just an additional option.

About content

The quality of the content and its design is also directly related to the usability of the site. If you have meaningless articles on your resource Bad quality, then it doesn't matter how good the other elements are. And if you have excellent articles, but terribly designed, then their quality does not matter - they will not be read. There are generally accepted text formatting rules that are suitable for almost any site, and it is worth following them, if only because of the convenience for users.

Use standard fonts like Arial, Tahoma, Verdana or similar. Custom Fonts can be used for headings, but it won't work for body text best solution. Not everyone will be comfortable reading a long article with such a font, even if it looks interesting:

Black font on a white background is the standard and optimal solution. Non-standard options are found, but the text and background should be contrasting, and bright colors should be avoided. For example, a red font on a green background will create a strong eye strain, and most visitors to your site will simply find it unpleasant to read such text. It is permissible to use a dark background, but even here you need to carefully choose a combination of colors and shades. Good example:

The font size must not be less than 12 pixels. Also avoid tickers and flashing text - these tricks make it difficult to read and many people are simply annoying. No need to abuse bold text, key points can be highlighted, but you should not do this in every sentence.

The quality of the content is also important. There are certain rules for writing and formatting articles that are relevant for almost any resource. In general, this is a topic for a separate article, but I will mention the main points that greatly affect usability.

• It is more correct to write articles in the form of an “inverted pyramid”, that is, the most important information and key conclusions should be at the very beginning, and the least important at the end. This helps to immediately capture the user's attention: he must quickly understand whether the article will be useful to him or not;
• The size of the article does not matter (including from the point SEO perspective), it should fully answer the user's question. It is clear that if the top of the article is 10-15 thousand characters in size, then with an article of 2-3 thousand characters in size you will not take a leading position. Simply because you cannot answer the user's question in such a volume;
• For large articles, it is worth making a table of contents (with anchors in the text), which will allow you to quickly get to the desired section;
• Headings, lists and thoughtful structure of the material greatly facilitate its perception.

How to spot problems

Usability problems can be found on any site, in this sense, there can be no limit to perfection. Exist various methods, the analysis can be done by yourself, or you can resort to the help of specialists. A clear signal of problems with convenience can be a decrease in site conversion.

Studying statistics

The statistics can provide quite a bit of food for thought. There are very advanced tools, for example, "Yandex Webvisor", which allows you to look at your site through the eyes of a user. Yes, studying such data will take a lot of time, but you do not need to look through the eyes of every visitor. Usually they pay attention to failures and only to those that came in response to targeted requests.

In addition, the usual statistics can also suggest weaknesses in the resource. Here is a screenshot from Yandex Metrics with traffic data for different sections on the site:

I have underlined the data for one section that is clearly different from the others. The browsing depth here is much higher than the average, and this can be said about the time spent on the site. The number of bounces is slightly below the average for the entire site. What's the matter here? It's simple: this section of the site is completely finished, there is a link between articles and additional elements navigation (recommended articles). This already gave +0.64 viewing depth and +1 minute and 13 seconds to time on the site.

An extremely simple way that will allow you to quickly find weaknesses in your project. It is far from a fact that the problems will be in the field of usability, but it is still necessary to work with web analytics.

User Rating

In this case, they ask real people Evaluate the convenience of the site and give a detailed review. You can ask friends, you can hire third-party specialists who will provide detailed reports and make recommendations. If you ask your friends or relatives, the main thing is to meet one condition: they must visit your site for the first time. There is such an effect as "blurring of the eyes", so only New user will be able to pay attention to weaknesses that you yourself do not notice, as you are used to your resource.

Testing

Testing is the most hard way, but it gives the best result. Typically, focus groups of 5–8 people are used to evaluate the site. Before the test, the parameters that testers will have to evaluate are determined. The option is not the cheapest, but it really is the best.

Actually, there are a lot of testing methods, there are a decent number of scientific publications on this topic, so I will not go into details, since within the framework of one article it will not be possible to completely cover the topic completely accurately. For an ordinary webmaster, the first two ways to assess the site's usability will be quite enough - they will reveal the most critical problems.

Conclusion

User-friendliness should come first for any website today. If you want to make a really successful project, then it should not have weaknesses. After all, there will always be competitors who have everything perfect. By paying more attention to usability, you are laying a solid foundation for the future of your site. And do not forget that although there are generally accepted standards and recommendations, no one forbids experimenting, and the success of each solution can only be determined after real tests.

Reading about heuristic methods for evaluating design and usability, I noticed that everyone refers to some generally accepted principles of usability, however, no one writes which ones. There are two options: either they are so clear and natural that it is not even worth talking about them, or no one really knows what these principles are. After analyzing the articles that link to them, and just thinking about both search engines, I came to a disappointing conclusion: no one really knows anything, and all the articles are inaccurate copies of one of Jacob Nelson's articles. Some even left a reference to these very generally accepted principles.

Alas, I did not find a single article in Russian (or Ukrainian) where they were disclosed. And therefore, I decided that it is still worth translating and deciphering these very principles a little.

So, 10 generally accepted principles of usability. Let's consider them in more detail.

1. Visibility of the system status.

This principle means that the user must ALWAYS know what is going on and where he has stopped. If this complex registration, indicate that this is step 2 of 3. If something is being downloaded or some script is running, print % processing. Etc.

A simple example - I'm sure that everyone has come across a situation where you clicked on some icon, but nothing happens. Judging by how actively the screw is spinning and the monitor is flashing, something is still happening, and after a few minutes the program window opens, for example (I still open IE this way). And what to do on the Internet when everything is loaded not on your computer, but on a server in another country. Most users simply click the submit button multiple times, upload the same files multiple times, and so on. And all because there is no connection between the user and the system.

Care should be taken to ensure that the system always clearly and unambiguously responds to user actions. There is such a moment - a maximum of 1 second should pass between the action and the reaction - this is not a whim of usabilityists. It has been scientifically found that this is exactly the time that our brain holds a causal relationship, such as did-got. If the reaction to your action is coming later than a second later - the brain perceives this as a separate action, only remotely related to the previous one.

And one more boundary figure - 10 seconds. The user must get what he wants within 10 seconds after his action (for example, while viewing the search results, the user opened window 5. Then he quickly looks through each of them. If after he opened the window within 10 seconds he did not return there - consider it lost to you).

(I did not check and did not invent the numbers myself, taken from the book).

(this is an example from Contact. When uploading photos, you see the process and estimate how much is left to wait).

The next principle tells us that your site must be made for a specific audience and you must communicate with them in their language, using their notation and level of proficiency.

Just a couple of days ago I looked at two sites computer science with a fairly similar structure and design. BUT! One was dedicated to customization features operating system, and second - computer courses for beginners.
As you understand, these are two completely different audiences, and the phrase “click line 35 in the registry” will be more than understandable for the audience of the first site, 99% of users of the second site will be shocked.

Therefore, always consider your audience, and make the site always for her. This applies not only to texts, but also to structure, help, design, visual perception of information, etc.

(already at first glance it is clear to whom the information on this site is directed. A beginner will not even read what is there. It is already clear from the design that it is for programmers).

3. User control (freedom of choice)

The user must always control the situation, so to speak, keep abreast (well, or at least he should have such an impression). What does this mean in practice? For example, when filling out a form, there must be a “clear form” button. If the form includes several steps, the user must return to the previous step, or vice versa, if possible, skip one in order to return to it later.

This situation will give the user the impression that it is he who “rules everything”, they are not trying to deceive and confuse him. And the complication at first glance of the interface when right approach becomes a simplification. After all, it is much easier for people to do 2-3 simple steps than one complex one (here the thing is that while the user is completing the second step, he still thinks that he can cancel the first one, but he is already thinking about the third one).

(when creating a project in Seolib, you can see at what stage you are, how much is left. You can also return to the previous step, or go further by skipping this one).

4. Consistency and standards.

Another principle that seems obvious, but alas - so rarely used in practice. Say, you can easily in the interface of any Office program Microsoft can create new document? Save it? Center text? But these are not always such simple operations ...

The thing is that the Microsoft campaign adheres to this principle in its products (although it often violates many others). They have the same icons in the same places in all products and look the same.

The Internet already has certain well-established designations and standards (for example, the type of basket, contacts in the upper corner, etc.). However, if you look how much different types baskets (according to Yandex or Google images), you will understand that not advanced user can seriously get lost among all those carts, e-baskets, ultra-trendy bags, etc.).
As for the sequence - then choosing a particular style - follow it everywhere. This applies to fonts, and pictures, and text and layout.

I have seen many times how the product layout and page layout differed in different sections. The creators of the site consider this a "creative chip." If they are doing it for themselves, then you can leave it that way, but if you are doing it for the user, then how do you explain to him why the page design when choosing a printer should be so different from the design of the selection page random access memory(within the same store)?

(as you can see in this example, all the icons are exactly the same in Word, Excel and PP. Mastering any New Product Microsoft, at least half of the functions will be immediately clear to you).

5. Error prevention.

This principle says that an error is easier to prevent than to correct. Wherever you can simplify the choice and remove unnecessary, random actions, you should remove it.
In practice, this can be: a hint when entering something from the keyboard (city / country for example).

This also applies to buttons. For example, ACCEPT is usually made larger and brighter than Clear Shape. If you know something about the information being entered, prompt it to the user (phone format or region code), etc.

(in this case, the user cannot proceed further until he understands these settings and selects at least one option for analyzing the site. This is much more convenient than telling the user something like “select at least one option, or the parameters are incorrect .)

Simplify the life of the user as much as possible, give him hints, remember the information he entered earlier (not only on previous page, but also from his past visits to the site).
For example, if you again have a multi-step registration form, show him the already filled fields if they may be needed in the future.

Also, try to minimize the number of text fields where the user has to enter something himself. Give him options (hints) so that he can choose from the options already available.

(the hint of the region pops up when entering at least one letter. And if the user does not know how to spell the city correctly, he simply clicks on one of the proposed options).

7. Flexibility and efficiency of use.

One of the most big problems– is this how to combine the simplicity of the interface and its functionality? How to make the same interface understandable and convenient for both professional user, and a beginner?

This principle says that the interface should be flexible, customizable and based on the audience that prevails. Focus on simplicity in terms of simple user. Elements for advanced users can be made much smaller and placed in less visible parts of the screen. he will find them everywhere.

A prime example is the Sitemap. Agree that a beginner will not climb there at all, but an experienced user will find at the bottom of the screen small print this "site map", or a small icon somewhere on the side.
Another example is clickers/typers. Those. each page can be accessed either from the menu by clicking on the navigation, or by using the site search. Both options should be supported and ultimately lead to the same result.

(we see a simple search for most users, as well as an advanced one for advanced ones. At the same time, the advanced search functions are hidden quite far and only an experienced user can find them, i.e., in fact, only the one who needs it).

8. Aesthetic and minimalist design

This principle says that the interface should not contain information that the user does not need or that he may need in rare cases. Similarly, in forms: you should not ask the user for information that you do not need, or is needed in some exceptional cases.

Unfortunately, almost no one uses this principle. In 90% of cases, when registering, you are asked and home phone, and mobile, and address and e-mail, and even date of birth. And all in order to wish you a happy new year and birthday.

All additional data can be clarified later, if necessary. And initially, when registering, for example, or when placing an order, ask only for the information that you really need.

In the same way, on the site (or in the program, these principles are universal), you should not display the information to the user that he may someday need. For example, let's take the same Microsoft Word. Tell me, how often do you use the "navigator" function or in the Date-Time box? Nevertheless, these buttons are always visible in the toolbar (depending on the version, the buttons may be different, but I'm sure that if you look at them, you will find at least 40% of the icons that you have NEVER used, and you don’t even know what they make).

(here is a typical example. When registering, Ozon asked me both my First Name and Last Name. At the same time, the only place where my name is used is the title of the letter. I have never seen my last name used. And I wonder why they need this data? There is a nickname i.e. the shape can be halved easily…).

9. Help the user understand and correct the error.

Can you tell me what the database error on line 433 means? Or long creepy errors in the LXR-XXX-5438645 memory line?
All these system messages should be saved in the logs for the site/system administrator. Write to the user in normal language, what exactly is the error. Moreover, the user is essentially only interested in one thing: is he or the system to blame? And can something be done?

I am sure that you have experienced the fact that you fill out a form, click submit, and you get some kind of database error in response. And you sit and suffer from two main questions: who is to blame and what to do? Is the form gone? If yes, what is the information? Or try sending again?

Although such serious mistakes are becoming less and less common. But the other option is even more infuriating - you fill out a rather long form, press submit and see a red inscription (or a pop-up window) - carefully fill out all the fields marked with an asterisk.
And again you sit and think - what fields? What asterisk? It seems that I filled everything out, carefully looked through ... and then it turns out that there the phone number must be written with spaces, not a hyphen.

Good day, dear readers. I think all of you have heard such a word as usability. Many even know what it is, and some part only thinks they know.

It so happened that in my practice I had to very closely collide not just with the concept of usability, but to analyze the site, express my opinion and give recommendations for improvement. Moreover, I analyzed not from the point of view of web design, but from the point of view of the effectiveness of the site as a business tool.

The most difficult thing in this situation for me was not identifying problematic moments on the site, but explaining why this is considered problematic.

Naturally, I am not going to claim deep knowledge of site usability and I am not going to compete with specialized resources on this topic. Those few publications that I will devote to usability will be more to streamline my knowledge, fix the topic and cheat sheets for the future.

Also note that I consider this topic not so much from the point of view of a web developer and web design, but from the point of view of an Internet marketer.

That is why in the previous article I shared, which also explains the view on usability described below.

I would like to start by saying that most of The usability information on various web design blogs is just the tip of the iceberg. This is due to several reasons, and one of them is that usability is not some kind of ease of use of the site that any web designer can come up with, it is a separate large-scale direction in development. software, which employs real professionals - usability engineers.

A bit of the history of usability

Of all the definitions that I came across on the Internet, in fact, none of them was a definition. those. It cannot be said that usability is the science of ...., or usability is a set of measures ....

Of all the variety of definitions, for now I decided to focus on the definition of international ISO standard 9241-11, according to which:

Usability is a degree with which the product can be used certain users in a certain context of use to achieve certain goals with due efficiency, productivity and satisfaction.

But I decided to look for other definitions, because of which I delved into the origins of the emergence, and found out that usability is part of microergonomics, which in turn is one of the sections of ergonomics. Finally, I met a word that was understandable to me, while having scientific basis and terminology.

In a past life, I was supposed to become an artist-designer and in the process of learning I gained knowledge of what ergonomics is - a science that studies the interaction of a person with surrounding objects (maybe the definition is not the most scientific, but it conveys the essence).

Have you ever wondered why the steps in your entryway are exactly the height they are? Doorways are never at the same size as a single bed. All dimensions of objects are a consequence of the science of ergonomics, even though they appeared several millennia earlier than itself.

Any modern development, firstly, it is always designed taking into account the size of the average person, and secondly, it undergoes rigorous testing for ease of use.

With the development of technology in ergonomics, a direction has emerged - microergonomics, one of the areas in which is the design of interfaces. This is where the term usability comes into play.

As I said above, I did not just publish a previous article on Internet marketing, in which I shared my vision of this topic. And speaking on the topic of usability from the point of view of Internet marketing, I came to the conclusion that, to a greater extent, usability is an analogue of our word "quality", i.e. phrases: site usability And site quality are essentially equivalent.

I have already touched on such a topic that for any business. The better your instrument is, the best results you can achieve.

Those. a quality tool is one that performs its function: for an online store, this will be sales; for the site design studio - direct customers; for a blog - subscribers.

Accordingly, the user constantly interacts with the site, and the easier and simpler the interaction is, the better your tool is - the site, which means the better the usability of your site.

Most importantly, why did I spend so much time on my thoughts and searches, so that you learn for yourself that usability is not just a "convenient menu on the site", but a measure of the quality of the entire site in terms of human use.

The result of the interaction is to satisfy the needs and requirements of the Internet user (), which ultimately brings profit to companies that develop their business through the Internet.
Once again...

You can't say "the site has good usability" about a site until you get some real evidence that the site is providing value to the user. Accordingly, depending on the site, the benefit is - obtaining information, making a purchase, etc., i.e. everything that leads to the satisfaction of the needs and requirements of the Internet user.

It would seem that the conclusions are all made, now it should be more and more clear, but it was not there. After all, all people are different, and each has its own measure of quality. For some users, one thing will be convenient, for others, another. But the usability of the site, as well as the quality of the site, cannot be measured, all this is relative values. It remains only to understand, regarding what? The answer is in relation to what was or is originally.

And this is the second reason why many people have the most superficial knowledge about usability. As I said, usability is a huge layer of research, statistical and analytical information in software development, including web development.

To answer everything possible questions research, surveys, testing and data analysis are carried out. To do this, whole groups of researchers and developers work on the issue of usability, and thousands of users participate in testing. But, unfortunately, only large companies. But, of course, this does not free every site owner to think about the usability of their resource, to conduct their own mini-research and testing. To do this, we need to know the basics of usability and be able to use the tools with which you can test the resource.

Usability Basics

Usability is based on five basic principles, which you will find on the web that they are called factors or components of usability. In my opinion, the word "principles" more accurately conveys their essence.

The first principle is learning.. Of course, this is more about complex interfaces, it is very important for CMS admin panels, accounts in various exchanges, and statistics systems.

For example, they often complain about the interface Google Analytics that it's hard to figure it out, or how difficult tweeter is for many. This a prime example the first principle of usability, when a user experiences difficulties when registering for the first time on a site.

Although, in my opinion, the example is not the most successful, because. according to my personal observation, the difficulty lies not so much in usability, but in not the most successful Russification of foreign resources, and partly in mentality. For comparison, the Yandex Metrics interface, in my opinion, is much more convenient, and you immediately grasp on the fly where and what is located, and you start using the system without any problems.

And then it starts to work The second principle of usability is efficiency.. I, as a user, can say with confidence that I use Yandex Metrica effectively, having once learned how to work with it. So the developers did a good job with the second principle of usability. Also, once you understand the tweeter, you understand that it is very simple and you begin to use it effectively. What I can’t say at all about Google Analytics, when I seemed to have studied everything, understood everything, but at the same time I’m sure that I don’t even use its capabilities by half.

And every time I start working with it, I will definitely click the wrong place a couple of times or go through the entire menu for a long time to find the report I need. This situation depends entirely on the implementation The third principle of usability is memorability.. For example, in the above example, I have a hard time remembering where which report is located. I find some reports quickly and without problems, but I spend time searching for others. What is it, my problem or the developer's problem? In fact, it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer, and I will consider this question in the next publication.

The Fourth Principle of Usability – Errors. Here, I think, such errors as useless extra clicks, i.e. the user himself makes mistakes due to poor learning and memorability, and server errors, for example, the same is a server error and its absence can affect the user's loyalty to the resource.

Last, The fifth principle of usability is satisfaction. Moreover, it is worth noting that I can be satisfied or not, as process use, and result. And if, for example, for me the process Google usage Analytics is complicated, I am completely satisfied with the result of interaction with this analytics system, and, depending on the tasks, I can be satisfied to a much greater extent than using Yandex Metrics.

Does Google Analytics cope with its task when learning, efficiency and memorability are not so hot, but the user gets satisfaction? I think it manages.

Thus, having dealt with all the fundamental principles of usability, I return to the fact that site usability and site quality are synonyms that determine the degree (measure) of user satisfaction with the site and, as a result, the performance of site functions. And as we already know, the performance of the site of its functions promises the owner of the site an increase in profits.

By the way, it is very clear from the principles that initially usability was not used for web resources and all the problems that the user encounters when working with the program interface are visible. On the other hand, I brought illustrative examples the fact that modern web resources have the most complex interfaces and it is very important that developers do not forget about the basic principles of usability.

Given the above, in order to make our understanding of usability for websites more complete and understandable, in the next article I will tell you what rules apply when developing a quality site. These rules will be more website-centric and expand on the very principles of usability.

Stay in touch and good luck with your progress.