e-RMA
Usability
Usability is a quality attribute to assess how easy the user interfaces are to operate. It also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process. Usability is critical to the success of a website as people are unlikely to use it if it is difficult to navigate.
Usability is comprised of five quality components:
- learnability - how easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design, particularly with little or no instruction?
- efficiency - how quickly can users perform tasks once they understand the design?
- memorability - how easily can users re-establish proficiency after a period of non-use?
- errors - how many errors do users make, how severe are these errors and how easily can they recover from these?
- satisfaction - does the design of the site satisfy user requirements?
Another important quality attribute is utility, which refers to the design's functionality: does it offer what users need?
Usability and utility are equally important. For instance, it matters little that something is easy to use if it does not contain the information sought.
