What Is Usability And Why Does It Matter In App Development?

In today's competitive digital marketplace, apps need to be more than functional to succeed. They need to be highly usable as well. They must embody supreme application usability, ensuring they not only fulfill their intended purpose but also deliver a seamless and delightful experience for users, particularly those aligning with your user persona. Application usability is an integral part of the overall user experience. A product with high usability leaves its users feeling satisfied after they complete a task due to how intuitive and frictionless that experience is.

Because there are so many options out there for users to get their tasks done, you need to make sure they actively want to use your app, or they'll look to the competition. In this article, we'll look at what is usability in terms of app development, what makes for good application usability, and how you can make your apps and websites more pleasing and satisfying for your users.

First, let's delve into what is usability.

Usability is one of the core considerations in app development. It's essentially about how easy and pleasant to use a product is for users and how the development team can increase user ease and enjoyment. An application's usability heavily affects the user experience, which in turn influences the likelihood of users taking to it. The user experience is fundamental to a product's success – unless your product is offering something that users want and no one else offers, it needs a stellar UX. Gone are the days when users had limited options, and today users exercise their choice ruthlessly!

We can think of application usability factors as individual tools on a multi-tool. Each tool brings something unique to the whole, and each might attract a different kind of user.

Read: User Experience vs Usability & UI: Learning The Differences

Application usability refers to the ease with which users can interact with and navigate through an application to accomplish their tasks effectively and efficiently. It encompasses various aspects such as user interface design, navigation, responsiveness, error handling, and overall user experience.

An application with high usability is intuitive, user-friendly, and minimizes user frustration while maximizing productivity. Achieving good application usability often requires thorough user research, iterative design improvements, and testing to ensure that the application meets the needs and preferences of its target users.

We can break down application usability into five core qualities:

When designing an app or website, prioritizing application usability is paramount. No one wants to read a manual to learn how to use an app or website. Users want to be able to do what they have to do quickly, with minimal fuss. Products should be simple and intuitive to use with as shallow a learning curve as possible, with recognizable symbols and images and as little text as possible. If they are necessary, instructions should be concise and given at the time of need rather than all at once.

If there are unnecessary steps for users to go through when they use your app, they’ll look for other options. Having to navigate two menus when one would suffice, scroll through long walls of text, or wait seconds while pages load sends users away in droves. Successful products get the job done quickly, with the minimum number of steps.  Minimizing wait times for page loads also enhances application usability, ensuring users remain engaged and satisfied.

Application usability encompasses various aspects that determine how effectively users can interact with an app. One crucial factor is memorability, which refers to how easy it is for users to open the app and perform tasks without having to go through the learning curve again. Ideally, a user should be able to immediately get back to using the app after several weeks or months of not using it.

Ensuring optimal application usability involves accommodating users' mistakes with a high tolerance level. Users often tap in the wrong place or accidentally navigate back, so the app should gracefully handle these errors. A good application design should have a high tolerance for users’ mistakes. Think about what happens when users tap in the wrong place or go "back" accidentally.

Whatever the purpose of an app, it should give users a sense of satisfaction when they use it to carry out a task. The previous factors all affect satisfaction – if any of these are off, the user will experience less satisfaction. Sound and haptic feedback also have a role to play and can increase satisfaction considerably when used properly.

Usability in UX (User Experience) refers to the extent to which a product or system can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use.

In simpler terms, it's about how easy and enjoyable it is for users to interact with a product or system to accomplish their tasks or goals. Designing for usability involves understanding users' needs, preferences, and behaviors, and creating intuitive interfaces and interactions that facilitate smooth and seamless user experiences.

User experience (UX) is fundamental for optimal application usability. UX refers to the way users interact with a particular product and how they feel in doing so. If your app doesn't make users feel good, it is likely to fail.

Think about some of the apps that you choose to use every day. Unless they perform a function that no other app caters to, you probably use them because you like them. Even for purely functional tasks like buying train tickets, if you have a choice of apps, you use the one that's most pleasant – the app with the great UX.

Now think about those apps that you tried a couple of times and then abandoned. There was probably something about them that you didn't like – maybe the color scheme hurt your eyes or maybe the text was too small. Maybe there were too many hoops to jump through to perform a task. Whatever the reason, the UX was bad and you quit using the app.

The terms usability and UX are sometimes used interchangeably, but they're not really the same thing. A product's UX is affected by many factors with usability being one of the most important. Application usability is more about the functional aspects of the product – how easy and efficient it is to use. UX is the overall experience that the users have when using the product. Good application usability increases the likelihood of a positive user experience.

If we think about the experience of buying something from a physical store, usability would be things like how easy it is to get through the door, how the store is laid out, and whether the cashiers know how to do their jobs. At the same time, the user experience would be all the elements of usability, combined with other aspects like the atmosphere in the store and the demeanor of the cashier.

You can read more about the differences between UX and usability.

Optimizing application usability is integral to inclusive design, where accessibility serves as a fundamental pillar of the user experience (UX). Recognizing diverse accessibility needs underscores the importance of tailoring apps to accommodate every user, rather than aiming for a fictional "average" user devoid of accessibility challenges. In app development, it's crucial to remember that we all have different accessibility needs. What works fine for one person might be completely inaccessible for another and designing for an imaginary "average" user with no accessibility issues is designing to fail. Inclusive design puts every type of user at its heart.

Accessibility needs to be at the heart of the development process from the beginning or it risks being seen as "bolted on." It's helpful to remember that designing inclusively with the needs of many different types of users in mind improves the experience for everyone.

Accessibility means taking a multi-sensory approach and thinking outside of the text-and-tap interface box. Using sound intelligently, incorporating gesture support and voice commands, and providing plenty of options for users, makes for a better experience that improves application usability and accessibility.

The US government introduced a set of regulations called Section 508 to improve digital accessibility and tackle discrimination. So not only is building inclusively the right thing to do, but it's also the legal thing to do. Things to think about when designing your product include:

Google Assistant is a great example of a product built with accessibility at its heart. Users don't need to touch their phones and can use voice commands for a variety of tasks. Users can also type and use gestures with plenty of options for customization.

When we talk about web app usability we're usually looking at it from the users' point of view. But, it's also helpful for developers to keep application usability in mind at all times. Suppose the aim of app development is to produce products that function well and users actively want to use. In that case, the aim of the developer should be to understand what the users expect in terms of their experience and constantly strive to learn and improve based on this understanding.

Technology is developing extremely quickly, and user interfaces too. At the same time, norms around the design and behavior of apps and websites have developed and become codified. Modern Internet users expect certain behavior from certain elements – think the hamburger menu or "play" button (triangular play symbol). Products that deviate from these norms tend to annoy users (unless they're offering an alternative that users like better). So, developers and designers need to keep on top of these areas and use application usability testing to understand the changing patterns of user behavior and expectations.

So, now you understand the importance of application usability, we’ll move on to looking at how you can make sure that your apps are usable. You need to keep application usability in mind from the get-go and keep it there throughout the development process. Making a thorough plan is the best way to achieve this.

Without clearly defined goals, it’s easy to get sidetracked. Defined goals give the team something concrete to focus on and work towards. At the very beginning of the development process, identify the goals of your project. Try to be as specific as possible – keep goals simple and break complex issues down into several parts. Ask yourself questions like:

Before spending time and money on a project, it's important to understand what your potential users are looking for. You might think you have a great idea, but if no one else sees the value in it and wants to use it, it's unlikely to be successful. User research is invaluable in determining whether there is a market for your product and how you can ensure that the product meets users’ needs and exceeds their expectations.

Similar to user testing, user research allows you to understand the needs, wants, and preferences of your users. Unlike testing though, research can happen before the product is in place. User research helps to gain an understanding of:

You can learn more about user research during the design process.

“Test early and often” is a motto to live by in app development. The value of testing cannot be overstated – it's vitally important. Testing at every stage of the process is the key to avoiding potentially project-killing problems, allowing you to identify issues when they can easily be fixed rather than later in the process when alterations become more difficult.

Developers and designers are naturally close to their projects, which means sometimes we don’t see important details. Since we know exactly how the app works, it’s easy to miss big usability issues. Application usability testing allows us to see the product from the user's point of view and improve usability at every step of the process. It’s vital to test the product with users that reflect your personas to ensure usability, accessibility, and a stellar user experience.

There are many kinds of usability testing, suitable for various situations. For best results, use a combination of methods regularly, with as wide a variety of participants as possible over several rounds. Let’s look at a few commonly used types of test.

Baseline usability testing is used for existing products where improvements are going to be made before the redesign takes place.

Focus groups are moderated discussions or interviews with a small number of participants used to ideate around user goals, attitudes, and expectations.

Card sort testing is used to evaluate the information architecture (IA) of a product – how the information within the product is organized.

Wireframe design testing involves testing the basic layout and design of several different versions of a product to understand how users interact with it and navigate.

First click testing looks at what users click (or tap) first to achieve a particular task.

Usability testing looks at the overall way users interact with a product and is very flexible.

Satisfaction surveys give a quick snapshot of how the user feels about the product at any one time.

Application usability is not a “one and done” thing. Because it’s a key aspect of the UX, web app usability should be embedded into each part of the development process. Research and early testing with usability in mind lay a strong foundation, then a continued focus on usability helps to ensure that the product will be the best it can be. 

Web app usability is iterative – each layer builds on the one before it to create a finely-honed product that has been shaped by real user experience. Every proposed change should be assessed for usability before, during, and after implementation.

You can read more about iterative design here.

After a round of testing is complete, it's time to analyze the results and decide on further action. Use the data to determine whether the product is achieving its core goals and identify any parts that need changes. There are plenty of tools to help you dig into the data to understand patterns and identify problems and testing software and online testing platforms have these tools built-in.

Once the data has been analyzed and problem areas identified, you can draw up a plan for proposed changes. It's vital to pay attention to what the data tells you. If test participants tell you there is a usability issue, it's much better to tackle it as early as possible. You can't ignore the problem – it won't just go away. 

After the changes have been made, another round of testing established whether they had had the desired effect. If there are still problems, the testing and tweaking process carries on until the usability issue is resolved. Over time, the product becomes increasingly usable and honed to its users' needs.

So, how can we make our products more usable and attractive to users? There are lots of resources out there to learn more about how to optimize the usability of your product, but here are some of our top tips to get started:

Application usability is a vital component of UX design and can make or break a product. Users have so many choices of products that products with poor usability will hurt user engagement. High-quality usability will ensure that a wide variety of people will find your product the most appealing option. So, it’s crucial to keep usability in mind at all times during the development process and after the product’s release.

A product with high usability is a product that people want to use. Whatever the purpose of the product, users will return again and again if they have a smooth, satisfying experience that not only meets their needs, but exceeds their expectations.

Want help with UX design for your product that incorporates usability? Engage with us.

Baseline usability testing establishes a starting point for evaluating the usability of an app. It involves testing the app with representative users to identify initial usability issues and measure improvements over time.

Mobile app usability testing involves evaluating the app's ease of use by real users through tasks, surveys, and observations. It helps identify usability issues early in the development process, allowing for timely improvements.

Usability focuses on the ease of use and user experience, while utility pertains to the functionality and usefulness of an app in fulfilling user needs. Both aspects are essential for creating successful apps, but usability ensures that users can effectively utilize the app's utility.

Application usability can be improved through iterative design, incorporating user feedback, conducting usability testing at various stages of development, and implementing best practices in user interface design and interaction design.

An application usability agency specializes in assessing and improving the usability of applications. These application design agencies employ usability experts who conduct thorough evaluations and provide recommendations for enhancing the user experience.

While flashy features may attract initial attention, high usability ensures that users can easily understand and utilize those features. Without usability, even the most innovative features may go unused or result in frustration for users, leading to poor app adoption and retention.