The Economics of Usability
One way to measure usability today is with time. How much time does it take someone to find a link on your web site? How much time does it take for a person to figure out how to send a text message with your new cellphone?
Every person has, to some degree, a perception of time as a limited resource. As we know, resources that are limited tend to become more valuable. Although the perception of time is flexible, people place a value on their time. At least unconsciously, people will try to weigh spending time on your user interface vs. the perceived potential benefit.
On the web, everything is nearly instant. Most web sites have literally seconds before they lose a customer. On the other hand, if the information I’m looking for is highly valuable, I may be willing to spend some time looking. If I really want to learn to fly a plane, I will spend the time learning the controls. Since there are many email clients out there, I will probably choose the one that’s ease of use and features balance out the best.
This may seem like common wisdom, but a look around will quickly tell you it’s not so common. Many applications, devices, and web sites focus on functions. This is backwards. A better idea is to focus on user tasks - just take a peek at 37signals products for a perfect example. Look at the task-oriented way they even describe their products. Once you have figured out what users want to do, then look at making those tasks as easy as possible. The features will evolve “on their own”.
