Usability is the word for “making products and systems easier to use and matching them more closely to user needs and requirements” (UsabilityNet). A whole industry has grown devoted to usability, user interface (UI) and the user experience (UX) of computer applications and environments.  User surveys, focus groups and even experiments that map the way users’ eyes move on the screen can be involved.

You might think that attending to the needs of users goes without saying, but in the same way that a business can be so wrapped up in itself that it forgets to put its address in a print advert (I see this all the time in my local rag and wonder whether they only want customers who already know where they are!), web professionals and businesses alike can lose sight of the forest for focusing on the trees.

A recent blog post by a usability specialist says it very well, complete with analogies and examples (do go read the blog, linked below), but this excerpt sums it up nicely:

Lots of organisations . . .  are so engrossed in what they do, that they speak in a way that is confusing to others. Unfortunately this tends to include their customers.

Such organisations usually reflect this on their website. They tend to:

• use vocabulary that customers don’t understand
• organise information the way they see it and not how the customer does
• swamp their site with content that few people want or need
• fail to provide the content that people do need

These failings drastically affect how useful and easy-to-use the website will be. (David Hamill, Good Usability)

If you read my previous blog post about the importance of getting and responding to criticism of your site, you’ll see how usability fits into the picture and forgive my harping on the benefits of a fresh look and outside opinion.

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I’ve just been reading  How To Respond Effectively To Design Criticism by Andrew Follett. It’s intended for designers in the first instance, but much of the advice should be considered by anyone who has a stake in a website (owner, designer, marketing folks, etc). The main point is to get and make good use of criticism about your site, whether it’s the design or the content.

You can read for yourself, but to summarise the points in a way appropriate to non-designers:

1. Have The Right Attitude
Don’t be too sensitive. Use criticism as a launching point for positive change.

2. Understand The Objective
When seeking feedback about your site, make sure your critic knows why you’re asking (ie, your goals).

3. Check Your First Reaction
Don’t lash out defensively at the first sign of negativity on the part of your critic.

4. Separate Wheat From The Chaff
Not all criticism is created equal. Be able to sort through feedback and discard any that seem to have malice at their root as opposed to honest opinion.

5. Learn From It
If you don’t absorb and act on criticism, there’s no point to seeking it.

6. Look For A New Idea
Criticism can lead to completely new perspectives on your site.  Be open to this.

7. Dig Deeper When Necessary
If you see something intriguing but unclear in your critic’s feedback, be brave and ask for more detail.

8. Thank The Critic
If you respected this person enough to ask for feedback in the first place, remember to thank him or her, even if you heard something that hurts a bit.

As you probably expect, this is a good chance for me to make a pitch for a session with a web strategist, who can offer you the kind of objective feedback you need. Sign up for a Quick Consultation today!

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