How To Create Usable Designs
In a previous post we established how important usability is in design, the question is what to do about it. Paying attention to usability during the whole design process can go long way, but here are some easy steps to help ensure a usable design:
Identify The Average User
You can’t expect to make a design accessible to the average user if you don’t even know who the average user is. Before starting a design, clearly identify the target markets that it’s for.
Identify The Average User’s Needs
What is it that the average user will be hoping to get from the item you’re designing? Are there certain pieces of information that will be looked for frequently, and if so, are they easily found?
Use Standard Structures (Most Of The Time)
Being creative with your design is great, but make sure it’s not at the expense of usability. If in doubt, it’s often best to stick to standard structures.
Put On Your User Hat
Once of the main causes of poor usability is that the designer has never stopped to look at the design from the user’s perspective. They’re so busy figuring out where to put everything that they forget to think about where the user will look for them.
Find An Uninitiated User
By uninitiated, I mean a user that has not been involved in the project in any way. Getting another member of your design team to use it doesn’t help, because they have the same blinders on that you do. Find an average user, and have them do what average users do, then ask them where they ran into troubles.
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Innovative Design Vs. Consistency
The Absolute Importance Of Usability (In All Mediums)
10 Tutorials On User Interface Design
3 Grammar Errors To Banish From Your Designs
15 Unique And Memorable Business Card Designs
Inspiration: 10 Simple But Elegant Designs
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Review: From Photoshop To HTML
I couldn’t agree more. I always have a 3rd party test my website designs.
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