Subject:
The Business Case for Usability
You can improve a user's experience with your software application or web site
by applying good usability principles to your interface design. Likewise, a
business can improve customer relations, employee relations, and the bottom
line by applying good usability principles to its practices and procedures.
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Usability Quote
"The benefits of usable technology include reduced training costs, limited user
risk, and enhanced performance ... American industry and government will become
even more productive if they take advantage of usability engineering
techniques."
Vice President Al Gore, 1998
from Usability Net -
http://www.usabilitynet.org/management/c_quotes.htm
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The Business Case for Usability
"The Business Case for Usability" provides a good executive overview of the
value of applying usability principles to all aspects of business practice. The
article briefly discusses the following themes:
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good usability leads to satisfied, purchasing, returning customers
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bad usability leads to angry customers and loss in sales
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better brand
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reduced costs for development and maintenance
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improved productivity
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reduced costs for training
The Business Case for Usability
http://www.usabilitynet.org/management/c_business.htm
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How Usability-Focused Companies Think
This article by User Interface Engineering explains user-centered practices
that companies employ to improve
their business.
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They Really Put Users First
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They Keep the Users Visible
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They Learn All They Can
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Everyone Follows a User Home
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They Share Information
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They Ask the Customers
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They Test Often
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They Skip the Reports
How Usability-Focused Companies Think
http://www.uie.com/focused.htm
(User Interface Engineering is "a leading research-driven company specializing
in web-site and product usability" based in Bradford, Massachusetts.)
