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Balancing Usability and Design in Web Development

The document discusses the tensions that can arise between usability researchers and designers when developing websites. It notes that both fields feel they are more important than the other. However, the author argues that usability testing provides objective, data-driven insights, while design is subjective and ever-changing. To be most effective, the author claims designers and researchers need to communicate well and appreciate each other's perspectives. The document also discusses how an over-emphasis on simplicity can sometimes undermine a website's functionality, and that the goal should be providing simple access to necessary information for users.

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Randolph Scott Dean
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7 views2 pages

Balancing Usability and Design in Web Development

The document discusses the tensions that can arise between usability researchers and designers when developing websites. It notes that both fields feel they are more important than the other. However, the author argues that usability testing provides objective, data-driven insights, while design is subjective and ever-changing. To be most effective, the author claims designers and researchers need to communicate well and appreciate each other's perspectives. The document also discusses how an over-emphasis on simplicity can sometimes undermine a website's functionality, and that the goal should be providing simple access to necessary information for users.

Uploaded by

Randolph Scott Dean
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

In the article Apples and Oranges, Didier Hilhorst addresses the issue of

confrontation between user researchers and designer when it comes to usability. He


stresses the importance of both these fields working together on a website because
they are both equally important. She seems to suggest that both feel that they are
more important than the other and feel that one should take precedence over the
other if it comes down to it. She says, “Design is not optional” (1) and it is a very
important part of the user experience. She explains that good design cannot be
created with standards and automation. It isn’t that simple and is a more of an ever
changing and subjective subject. She goes on to say that Usability testing and user
research is objective and based on data. It seems that the opposite nature of design
and user research creates this conflict. I believe if a balance is reached, these
opposites can work effectively together to make an effective site. Hilhorst seems to
argue this same idea: “designers and user researchers need to communicate
effectively, with mutual appreciation, in order to achieve an optimal outcome” (1).

[Link]

It would seem from Hilhorst’s article that usability designer want to make things as
simple and straight forward as possible. In the case above, this might cause some
problems with other disciplines such as design. Terry Sullivan argues for simplicity
in web design in his article As Simple as Possible. He agues, “the virtues of simplicity
are well-known among experience systems designers”. I agree that simplicity is a
virtue in usability but I also believe if to big of an emphasis is put on simplicity, it
might began to take priority over other essential needs of a website. For example, if
simplicity is given priority over the design of the webpage, it might end up being
difficult to use in the end. I’ve seen the idea of simplicity ruin the functionality and
usability of a document before. Sometimes documents are complicated to begin with
so it isn’t easy to completely simplify them without causing problems.

[Link]

On the other hand, simplicity is something that should be considered when


designing a webpage or document. A user doesn’t want to spend anymore time
finding answers than they need to and a effective document or webpage should
reflect this by quickly getting them where they need to go. In The Beauty of
Simplicity Linda Tischler argues for simplicity in web design using Google as an
example. She says, “The technology that powers Google's search engine is, of course,
anything but simple. In a fraction of a second, the software solves an equation of
more than 500 million variables to rank 8 billion Web pages by importance” (1). A
user doesn’t want to see all these calculations or complication behind Google. They
just want to see results. Simplicity can be a double-edged sword in a way, but needs
to be considered when designing a product. I feel that a writer or designer needs to
asks themselves what a user wants and don’t want and create their document
accordingly. In the end, a technical communicators job is to create simple products
that point the user where they want to go and hide the complications that come with
technology.

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