blog.
The 3 U's in designing for the user
You could be forgiven for thinking usability, user experience (UX) and user centred deisgn (UCD) are all pretty much the same thing. Kind of like Ant & Dec: You're not sure which is which but understanding the difference matters very little. Well you'd be wrong! (In terms of design I mean - not whether or not Dec is the shortest).
Understanding the user is an absolute requisite for successful design. Here's a very simple breakdown of the 3 U's you may have heard being thrown around:
Usability is how easily a user can do what they set out to do.
User Experience is a combination of usability and and how much the user will enjoy themselves along the way.
User Centred Design is a case of keeping usability and user experience in mind from the very start of the design process.
There are various requirements of a succcessful product, these include:
Learnability - it should be intuitive so that there's essentially nothing to learn.
Efficiency - it should serve a purpose or assist in achieving a goal.
Memorability - it should encourage visitors to return. Popularity grows through word of mouth, people talk about what they remember.
Errors - it should have a low error rate. Evaluate and test the design, especially on the intended user.
So next time you tune in to 'I'm a celebrity get me out of here' you might not be able to tell which one stands on the left but at least you can confidently create a user focused product that will get people talking!
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