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=Overview=
Usability is a metric used to assess the effectiveness of a User Interface design. An interface is considered '''usable''' if it is perceived as easy, enjoyable, efficient and effective to use and learn.
This article provides information on how you test for usability issues in your system.
==What is a usability issue?==
A usability issue, is any issue that prevents the system from being easy, efficient , and effective to learn and use. Usability issues are ''objective'', such as contrast ratio of text on a background. Usability issues are not ''subjective '' or based on personal preference, such as “I don’t like orange”.
[[File:Usability-obj-vs-sub.png|thumb|none|400px|Usability issues are objective]]
==How can I test for usability issues?==
There are established standards called Heuristics that are used to evaluate the usability of a user interface design.
You can learn more about these heuristics in this [https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/ Nielsen Norman Group article].
These 10 heuristics summarized below are a tool for discovering usability issues in a user interface.
===1. Visibility of System Status===
* Showing change (draw attention to things that have changed)
* Showing expected actions (tell me what I need to do next)
* Showing status (What is the current state of an element?)
===2. Match Between the System and Real World===
If I presented you with two labelsmarked "meet & greet" and "staff directory", “staff directory” and “meet and greet” would you know what you will get if you click clicked “meet and & greet”? Familiar language makes things easier for your users to understand.
[[File:Usability-meet.png|thumb|none|400px|Use familiar language]]
===3. User Control and Freedom===
Ever get stuck in a conversation and couldn’t think of a polite way to excuse yourself?
When working with a system accidental clicks happen, people will start going down a wrong path so it’s really important to give them an emergency exit, like a cancel, back or undooption. Don’t leave your users stuck somewhere they don’t want to be.
[[File:Usability-control.png|thumb|none|400px|Don’t leave users stuck somewhere they don’t want to be.]]
* Providing a path forward and back (undo/redo)
* Providing different ways to explore information (searching, filtering, viewing options)
* Providing an option for the user to leave a process (cancel, close, extit)
===4. Consistency and Standards===
[[File:Usability-consistant.png|thumb|none|400px|Keep the UI consistent and follow industry standards]]
Make sure buttons and links are named the same thing, are located in the same place, and put where they are expected to be.Ask yourself: do I know where to find desired links and buttons, do I know what they do, and are they always in the same place? Are repeating button and link configurations arranged consistently and reliably?
You can meet these criteria by:
===5. Error Prevention===
Have you ever been sent an email unintentionally?
It can be cringe -worthy when someone accidentally clicks “reply all” when they didn’t mean to.Help prevent your users from committing errors. If clicking a button that will cause a big change or possibly cause damage, tell the user what will happen and give them a path forward.
[[File:Usability-error-prevent.png|thumb|none|400px|Help prevent your users from committing errors]]
* Making objects, actions, options and directions visible or easily retrievable
* Not forcing the user to remember anything or thinktoo hard
* Avoiding codes and hurdles
* Providing visual representations
===7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use===
Help your users accomplish their goals faster and with less effort using accelerators.
===9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose and Recover from Errors===
This is really 3 things: # Indicate an error has occurred with some type of visual and warning message# Tell the user what the problem is in plain language# Provide a path forward, how does the user fix the issue? if possible, include a shortcut or something the user can click to resolve the issue [[File:Usability-errormsg.png|thumb|none|400px|An error message indicates an error occurred, tells the user what the problem is, and provides a path forward.]] Help users understand and fix errors with clear messaging that explains the problem and how they should resolve the error.Ask yourself: when I encounter a problem, do I know what I did wrong, and how to fix it?
You can meet these criteria by:
* Ensuring clarity of messaging and use plain language
* Always providing or suggest suggesting a solution
* Educating the user (what is happening and why)
* Providing a path forward
===10. Help and Documentation===
It's best if a system can be used without any documentation, but when you need documentation make sure: # It appears where it is needed# List out the concrete steps# Keep the instructions shortAnd remember many users don’t want to have to read instructions. [[File:Usability-instructions.jpg|thumb|none|400px|Make sure help and documentation is clear, concise and where you need it.]] Help users understand what is expected of them and how to do it by including context-sensitive instructions, highlighting new features and changes in functionality.Ask yourself: is my help documentation where it is needed, can ? Can my users understand what they need to do and are ? Are my users aware of new functionality and changes?
You can meet these criteria by:
* Being short and concise
==How do I ensure my system is and stays user-friendly?Final notes==Whether you are making changes to your system or you have a team making changes for you, always use the above heuristics to test the workeffect of changes on the usability of your system. If you find an issue, bring it up with your team or call support. Most issues can be resolved through configuration, but if you encounter something that is notconfiguration related, raise an enhancement ticket and help make talk with us so we can enhance SmartSimple better Cloud for everyone. Help for specific issues and features can also be found on the wiki '''Suggested UX Sites''' *[https://www.nngroup.com/ nngroup.com]*[https://www.interaction-design.org/ Interaction Design Foundation]*[https://lawsofux.com/ lawsofux.com]
[[Category:Interface]]