What is World Usability Day and Why Does it Matter?

World Usability Day is all about collaboration and cooperation. To save the world’s largest problems, we must work together. We are celebrating World Usability Day this November 9^th, with the aim of working together to create solutions globally and locally. It’s a day around the world that brings together communities of professional, industrial, educational, citizen, and government groups to ensure that the services and products important to life are accessible and simple to use for everyone.

The goal of this day is to encourage developers and designers to think about how users interact with websites, applications, and technology. This includes the size of buttons for easy clicking, colour contrast to help with reading, and easy to understand processes.

What Defines Usability?

Usability is the level at which a system or product can be quickly learned and used by specific user groups. The aim is to create products and systems that are effective, valuable, efficient, and intuitive.

The five components of usability include:

• Learnability – The ease at which a user can accomplish basic tasks the first time
• Efficiency – How long it takes to perform certain tasks once the user has learned the design
• Memorability – How easily a user can re-establish proficiency once they return to the design
• Errors – The number of errors and how easily the user can recover from them
• Satisfaction – How enjoyable the design is to use

When developers understand the objectives and subjective experiences of users, they can create better products.

Why Does Usability Matter?

People shouldn’t have to be made to feel stupid due to technology. Products and services should be user-friendly, as they impact our lives. Technology is constantly evolving, and we all need to learn to use it if we aren’t to be left behind. The importance of usability shouldn’t be dismissed. Users expect apps and websites to work properly, be intuitive, and support daily life.

For efficient usability, it’s important to create products that reduce the risk of errors and are satisfying to use. A satisfied user will continue to use the product and is more likely to recommend it to others. This increases user loyalty, enhancing revenue.

Technology plays a key role in expanding opportunities for people. The human-computer interaction (HCI) and user experience (UX) communities have a profound influence on technologies such as mobile devices and computers, and well-designed experiences can influence the social, cultural, economic, and environmental future.

Now this successful community is connected to global initiatives such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. World Usability Day proposes that researchers, developers, and companies create technology that is user and value centred. This World Usability Initiative (WUI) will be combined with the United Nations work, regarding the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

How Can We Improve Usability?

User experience (UX) designers are responsible for creating an optimal experience for the user when they interact with the product, such as a website. UX design shapes the products or services we use on a daily basis. A UX designer needs to consider how the product makes the user feel and how easy it is to accomplish their tasks, such as how simple the checkout process is when buying something online. They build a bridge between product and customer.

User interface (UI) design refers to the interface of a product, such as the visual design of the screen a user interacts with, or the buttons they click on when browsing a website. The design of the product interface has a huge impact on the user experience.

The WUI will provide researchers and practitioners the opportunity to shape and create how people interact with technology. It will also influence the development of technologies that are intentionally designed to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

The goal of World Usability Day is to bring together HCI and UX professional organisations to work with the United Nations, specifically around the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This is to work on projects in developed and developing countries to solve the world’s problems. It also aims to ensure technology, products, and services will be made accessible and usable for everyone.

Web Design at Priority Pixels

At Priority Pixels, we develop and design highly interactive and usable websites for a range of clients. We believe digital experiences should be engaging and easy to use for everyone. We create striking websites that are efficient and user-friendly. For our clients, this enhances the web interaction experience for their customers. We understand that the usability of a website will largely determine its success on the market, so it’s important to ensure a smooth online experience.

NAB Shipping is a leading provider of international shipping transportation services for all major bulk vessels. Their services include shipbroking and consultancy, designed to meet the needs of clients in the maritime industry. Our team of web developers worked closely with NAB Shipping to create a dynamic website with an improved layout and optimised design.

We have also worked with Somerset Dementia Wellbeing Service – a partnership between dementia services collaborating to enhance support in the community. Our team of web designers and web developers created an informative WordPress website, with a user-friendly layout resulting in improved user engagement and a service that is more connected to its users.

Another client of ours is Gymboree Play & Music, a global leader in early childhood education with play centres in more than 30 countries. We’ve consolidated their web presence with a single, bespoke website and adjoining e-commerce store. All bookings for classes and events can be reserved through a user-friendly onsite booking system.

Creating an Enhanced User Experience with Priority Pixels

When we build websites, we are always thinking about the end user and their experience. Priority Pixels has a team of expert web developers who offer a range of website design and maintenance services. Web design is about how the site looks, feels, and works for users. Great web design blends technical and artistic skill with the user in mind, whilst reflecting brand ethos.

If you want to find out more about our web development and web design services, or other services we offer, please contact us on 01626 245061 or email us at hello@prioritypixels.co.uk.