1. USABILITY
WHAT IS USABILITY AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?
STUDIOK&M THE DESIGN & USABILITY EXPERTS .
www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076

2. WHAT IS
USABILIT Y?
USABILITY MEANS THAT
SOMEONE SHOULD BE
ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
AND ACCOMPLISH A
TASK INTUITIVELY
WITHOUT THOUGHT
OR FRUSTRATION.
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3. FORM VS
FUNCTION
Sure, both of these tea pots are nice to look
at, but which one is more useable?
Usability is all about the experience,
be it in a tea salon or on the web.
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4. DON’T MAK E
ME THINK.
Steve Krug’s first law of usability states that
a web page should be obvious and self-
explanatory. Be sure the navigation and site
structure are intuitive. Have visual clues and
easily recognizable links so that users can
find what they are looking for.
www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076

5. THINGS
THAT
MAKE US
THINK •
•
Where do I start?
What do they do?
• Clever names/Marketing induced names
• Links that are not self evident
• Navigation in non traditional places
• Where’s the contact info?
• Where do I sign in?
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6. WHAT DO USERS LOOK
FOR IN A WEBSITE?
WEB •
•
•
Ease of use
Speed
Practicality
USABILIT Y •
•
Credibility
Consistency
• Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
With billions of websites on the internet
today, your competitors are only a click away.
If you don’t help your users accomplish their
goals, they are bound to head straight to
your competitor.
A usable website creates trust in your
customers and a sense of satisfaction.
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7. YOU HAVE LESS THAN
T WO MINUTES
TO COMMUNICATE
THE FIRST TIME
A PROSPECTIVE
CUSTOMER VISITS
YOUR WEBSITE.
Every page must justify its claim on their
time. If a page doesn’t do that immediately
and clearly, users go elsewhere.
Most don’t even bother scrolling to see
what’s further down the page.
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8. NAVIGATION
Your navigation system should be simple and
clear. Your users should not have to ask the
following questions:
Where am I?
Where should I begin?
Where did they put ______?
What are the most important
things on this page?
Why did they call it that?
www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076

9. WHERE
DOES THIS IMPROVING NAVIGATION
LINK GO? • Users must be able to predict what will
happen if a link is clicked and determine
whether or not it takes them to their goal.
• Information should be organized in a
logical manner.
• The language and organization of the
navigational path must match the user’s
expectations and needs
• The use of ambiguous links can cause
the user to go to the wrong page.
• The use of nonstandard links can cause
confusion.
www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076

10. MORE THAN 83%
OF INTERNET USERS ARE
LIKELY TO LEAVE A WEB
SITE IF THEY FEEL THEY
HAVE TO MAKE
TOO MANY CLICKS
TO FIND WHAT THEY’RE
LOOKING FOR.
-Arthur Andersen, 2001
www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076

11. USABILIT Y
TIPS DO
• Know your end user
• Abbreviate your copy-make it scannable
• Use short & concise phrases
• Use plain & objective language
• Use bullet points
• Let users know why they should use your service
• Let users know why should they stay on your site
• Use hierarchy
• Categorize the content
• Use spell check
• Test your site
• Check for consistency: fonts, styling, formatting,
window titles, link colors
• Be sure your site loads quickly
www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076

12. MORE
USABILITY
TIPS
DON’T
• Use pop-ups
• Don’t change user’s window size
• Don’t use too small font size
• Don’t use horizontal scrolling
• Don’t create a site that requires
instructions on how to browse
• Don’t make people wait

13. FREE E XPERT
USA BILIT Y
RE VIE WS
STUDIOK&M THE DESIGN & USABILITY EXPERTS .
Schedule a 30 minute free telephone review
Email: cathline@studiokandm.com
Read our blog for usability & design tips:
studiokandm.com/blog
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twitter.com/studiokandm
www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076