Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Google
CXO
Software
Cloud
Startups
More
Search TechRepublic
A product that's difficult to figure out, inefficient to use, or poorly supported is not going
to win much of a user base. See whether you agree with these criteria for userfriendliness.
By Jack Wallen
|
in 10 Things,
September 15, 2010, 4:22 AM PST
1: Simple to install
This applies to everything from operating systems
to browser plug-ins. Installation is the first point of
contact for users, so it had better be a friendly
process. Otherwise, they're going to be jaded the
second they begin using your tool. It doesn't
REGISTER NOW
2: Easy to update
DOWNLOAD NOW
3: Intuitive
Software is only as good as its GUI. If the GUI is
not well thought out and well executed, people
will have issues with using the product. A
welldesigned GUI can often overcome a less-thanfriendly underlying structure (or poor coding). But
don't bank all your hope on a good GUI the
software still needs to work as expected!
4: Effcient
Not only should a piece of software work as
expected, it should also be efficient. It should be
optimized for specific architecture, it should have
all memory leaks plugged, and it should work
seamlessly with
underlying structures and
subsystems. From the users' point of view, the
software should be an efficient means to
completing their jobs. Software should not get in
the way of completing a task, nor should it set up
any roadblocks for users. The efficiency of a
piece of software is tied up with its intuitiveness.
A good example is the change Microsoft made to
the Office interface. Switching from the standard
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe
Week in Review
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe
6: Easy to remove
Along with being easy to install and use, a piece
of software should be easy to remove. Without a
simple removal process, that software becomes
cumbersome. And cumbersome is not userfriendly. As much as developers don't want their
users to remove their software, the removal
process might be the last impression your
software makes. Don't make that impression a
negative one.
8: Easy to troubleshoot
No software is perfect. And when something goes
wrong with a piece of
software, it's important that
the end user can call support and that support
can resolve the issue. If the software offers
nothing in the way
of troubleshooting, how is the
end user or the administrator going to be able to
keep the software running? Windows 7 attempts
to help the user out when a program crashes and
does a fairly good job with it. In Linux, if you have
problems with an application, you can always run
it from the command line to see some of the
issues presented. There are also third-party tools
that can be used. But again, depending upon a
9: Adheres to standards
Standards are created for a reason to make
interconnectivity between applications or
hardware easy. Problems begin to arise when
//
jlwallen
56 comments
2 people following
LOG IN
+ Follow Conversation
Also post to
Share
Alchemist-Joat
Like
Excelmann
Reply
Like
john3347
Reply
Like
kishorebarik26
Reply
Nice Idea
Like
NickNielsen
Reply
Like
Reply
nikunjbhatt84
Like
prugsa.kilgore
Reply
Like
a.portman
Reply
Like
weston2k
Reply
Like
RF7000
Reply
Like
brendan
Reply
Like
gscratchley
Reply
Like
devshop
Reply
Like
garystafford
Reply
Like
The 'G-Man.'
Reply
Like
The 'G-Man.'
Reply
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/Userfri
endly.20030128.gif More at
http://www.userfriendly.org/
Like
MichP
Reply
wizard57m-cnet
Reply
Like
Reply
Powered by Livefyre
Related Ads
1 GUI Tools
5 Recover Passwords
3 Certification Programs
7 Windows XP SP3
4 Malware Removal
8 Mobile Security
Explore
Services
Blogs
About Us
Downloads
Membership
Q&A
Newsletters
Discussions
RSS Feeds
Site Map
Photos
FAQ
Videos
Advertise
Reprint Policy
2015 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Cookies | Ad Choice | Terms of Use | Mobile
User Agreement
A ZDNet site |
Visit other CBS Interactive sites:
Select
Select Site
Site