Usability

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Definition

  • Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal. [...] In human-computer interaction and computer science, usability usually refers to the elegance and clarity with which the user interface of a computer program or a web site is designed. The term is also used often in the context of products like consumer electronics, or in the areas of communication, and knowledge transfer objects (such as a cookbook, a document or online help). It can also refer to the efficient design of a mechanical objects such as a door handle or a hammer. (Wikipedia: Usability - retrieved 17:30, 9 June 2006)
  • Usability can also refer to the methods of measuring usability and the study of the principles behind an object's perceived efficiency or elegance. (Wikipedia: Usability - retrieved 17:30, 9 June 2006 )

See also:

Links

Resources

(larger usability sites, alphabetically sorted)

General introductions

See also web usability

On Wikipedia

You may start from the Desing portal, a page that indexes most pages related to design including usability.

Sample pages:

Others
  • User in Your Face, The Student Programmer's Before-and-After Guide to Usability and Usable Interface Design, by Jack Bellis.

Methods

Government

Standards

  • ISO/TR 16982:2002 - "Ergonomics of human-system interaction—Usability methods supporting human-centered design"
  • ISO 9241 - "Ergonomics of Human System Interaction" -