What is the difference between usable and useful

To ensure a site is useful, time must be spent identifying user needs, and there are a range of practical techniques for doing so. In practice, usability activities focus on whether a site can be quickly and easily used and understood although the formal definition of usability is much wider than this. Information architecture is the complementary discipline that concentrates on site structure, navigation and search engine design as well as other related areas.

Together, these disciplines provide an invaluable toolbox of practical techniques that can be used to ensure a site can be used, including:. These are useful techniques that should be used as part of all site redevelopments. In practice, though, they are not enough. The corporate intranet is a mess, with little order, consistency or structure.

Staff have considerable difficulty in finding information, and while most have struggled with the site in the past, they try not to use it now unless they have to. As a result, overall site usage is very low. A usability consultant is brought in, and they conductan initial expert review of the site to identify problems. This is followed up with multiple card sorting sessions in the lead-up to determining a meaningful site structure. Prototype designs are developed, and these are usability tested.

The process runs smoothly, and the new site is deployed. It is tremendously easy to use, with consistent navigation and an effective search engine. The source of the problem? Open menu Close menu. Join us. Something that is not useful is unlikely to be accepted by any user.

And so on… But how usable is a door that needs instructions? The Take Away A product must be useful if it is to be used.

Closes in. View course. Join , designers who get useful UX tips from our newsletter. A valid email address is required. Looking at examples of bad design alongside counter-examples of good design is not only fun but also draws important les 1.

Read article. With the compan 1. What is Interaction Design? Interaction design is an important component within the giant umbrella of user experience UX design. In this article 1. It can 1. Lean UX is an incredibly useful technique when working on projects where the Agile development method is used. Tradition 1. By examining the principles of his winning approac 1.

Adaptive vs. Responsive Design. The differences between responsive and adaptive design approaches spotlight important options for us as web and app desi 1. For one, our UX group is part of the Product Management team. For some companies, UX is another layer that falls on top of product management, but we get to work alongside Spok product managers to create technology tools that solve clinical challenges and are easy and desirable for care teams to use.

Second, we take both the thoughts and experiences of the user and the customer into account. Usually you have the person or organization purchasing the solution, the customer, and then the people using the tool on a daily basis, the users.

Sometimes there can be a tug of war between the customer and the user: While they have the shared goal of improving clinical communications and the patient experience, they may have competing priorities as well.

UX works to make sure the voices of the customer and users are both represented, to deliver a useful, usable, and delightful experience. Finally, we are all about the relationships. Chikezie is an experienced User Experience Designer with great leadership, creative and design background.