Improving the user experience of usability
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the User Experience of Usability. Since then I have been consistently thinking about ways to improve upon usability’s user experience. As I stated in the previous post every organization is different so the methods to improve the user experience are going to be different.
I do believe there are somethings usability professionals can do as an individual to improve the experience of working with usability. The following list contains few ideas I have come up with and are only backed by my personal experiences.
Become and industry professional
Do not just stop with knowing the usability side of your industry but branch out to learning about the development and infrastructure sides as well. By doing so you create a deeper respect and understanding for what it takes to build those beautiful designs you created. It also can help build respect from the development/infrastructure group by allowing you to speak at their level regarding the various development/infrastructure problems.
Become an active user
Use as many applications as you can and more importantly use them regularly. Do not just use the product(s) you are assigned or even just the product(s) your organization creates. This will keep you up to speed on the problems arising in the industry and more specifically your genera of products. It will help you see problems before you are asked to find a solution and can give you an idea of features your company may desire.
Consistently seek new interactions
Always be searching for new innovative interactions and tools that facilitate the construction of said interactions. This will help you create a mental library of various solutions. Utilizing this library will allow you to be more responsive and shorten your design time. Any time you save means more time for other members of the project to complete their work. Building a library of tools can come in handy when overcoming the “We cannot build that because it is not possible.” argument. It also allows you to lead developers towards a tangible example of how you want the widget to function.
Use research to build your case
Remember that when you are an expert in a field that others probably do not share your knowledge. This lack of understanding causes the stakeholders to not follow why you created the design as you did. To over come this you may need to explain in detail and provide research backing your decisions. This consistent validation can be tiresome but it has been my experience that stakeholders will learn that your decisions are not made on a whim and start respecting your decisions.
Choose your battles wisely
This might be the most important thing to remember. It is extremely rare that usability is the primary concern of the stakeholders. In many situations the stakeholders’ concerns directly conflict with creating a strong user experience. Each conflict can create a rift between you and them, therefore it is important to choose only the points you feel can make or break the experience. This will minimize the rifts creating a stronger relationship between you and the rest of the team.
These are just a few ideas I have come up with to help increase the user experience of usability. Many of these ideas may seem like second nature or old news but I find complacency comes quickly and easily. Therefore taking a moment to reflect on them is always a good idea.
Excellent commentary that hits home.