1. Universal
Usability
01
Submitted by Athulya B Unni

2. 02
Usability is a measure of how well a specific user in a specific
context can use a product/design to achieve a defined goal
effectively, efficiently and satisfactorily. Designers usually
measure a design’s usability throughout the development
process—from wireframes to the final deliverable—to ensure
maximum usability.
Usability

3. 03
“Usability is about human behavior.
It recognizes that humans are
lazy, get emotional, are not interested in
putting a lot of effort into,
say, getting a credit card and generally prefer
things that are easy to
do vs. those that are hard to do.”
— David McQuillen, ex-Swiss
banker and founder of
Sufferfest cycling workout
resources

4. 04
01
It supports users in
completing actions
accurately.
Effectiveness
02
Users can perform tasks
quickly through the
easiest process.
Efficiency
04
It supports a range of
user actions and only
shows an error in
genuine
erroneous situations.
Error
Tolerance
03
Users find it pleasant to
use and appropriate for
its industry/topic.
Engagement
05
New users can
accomplish goals easily
and even more easily on
future visits.
Ease of
Learning
Elements of Usability

5. 05
Universal
Usability

6. 06
Universal Usability refers to the design of
information and communications products and
services that are usable for every citizen

7. 07
Advocated by
Prof. Ben Shneiderman
A computer
scientist at the
Human-Computer
Interaction Lab at
the University of
Maryland, College
Park

8. 08
Difference Between
Universal Usability
& Accessibility
Accessibility is concerned primarily with making the
content and functionality of web sites accessible—within
reach—to all users. Universal usability goes one step
further, striving to make the content and functionality
accessible and usable by all.

9. 09
To enable the widest possible range of users to benefit from
information and communications services.
This goal is stronger than merely providing access, which
focuses on technology availability and is often tied to access
for users with disabilities.
Universal usability implies that diverse users with varying
language skills, knowledge levels, motivation, and computer
hardware/software can successfully apply technology to get
what they need in life.
The Goal of
Universal
Usability

10. 10
5 Quality Components of Usability
01
How easy is it for users
to accomplish basic
tasks the first time they
encounter the design?
Learnability
02
Once users have
learned the design, how
quickly can they
perform tasks?
Efficiency
04
How many errors do
users make, how severe
are these errors, and
how easily can they
recover from the errors?
Errors
03
When users return to
the design after a period
of not using it, how
easily can they
reestablish proficiency?
Memorability
05
How pleasant is it to use
the design?
Satisfaction

11. 11
Universal
Usability
Guidelines
Discard the notion that we are designing for a
“typical” user. Universal usability accounts for users
of all ages, experience levels, and physical or
sensory limitations. Users also vary widely in their
technical circumstances: in screen size, network
speed, browser versions, and specialized software
such as screen readers for the visually impaired.
Moving beyond the “typical” user

12. 12
Universal
Usability
Guidelines
We need a design approach that will accommodate
the diversity of our user base, and here we turn to
the principle of adaptation. On the web, universal
usability is achieved through adaptive design, where
documents transform to accommodate different
user needs and contexts.
Supporting adaptation
When considering universal usability, we need to
anticipate diversity and build flexible pages that
adapt gracefully to a wide variety of displays and
user needs.
Guidelines supporting adaptation
Flexibility
Flexibility paired with user control allows users to
take control of their web experience and shape it
into a form that works within their use context.
User control

13. 13
Universal
Usability
Guidelines
Guidelines supporting adaptation (Cont..)
Make actionable elements workable via the
keyboard to ensure that the interactivity of the web
is accessible to the broadest spectrum of users.
Keyboard functionality
Text equivalents allow universal usability to exist in
a media-rich environment by carrying information to
users who cannot access information in a given
format.
Text equivalents

14. 14
Challenges to
Universal
Usability
Supporting a broad range of
hardware, software, and network
access.
Individual differences among
users, such as age, gender,
disabilities, literacy, culture,
income, and so forth.
Bridging the knowledge gap
between what users know and
what they need to know about a
specific system.
Variety of ICT Products
Accommodating
Individual Differences Knowledge Gap

15. How to Design for
Optimum Usability
Work with a clear understanding of users’ goals and show it
in your design.
Mimic the real world regarding concepts, icons and language.
Present instantly understandable, jargon-free messages and
actions users can take—one chief action per screen.
Limit options to give a strong information scent on an
uncluttered display—show essential information for completing
tasks.
Keep content consistent.
Follow established norms regarding function and layout (e.g.,
logo positioning, tappable buttons).
Use proper font size, color, contrast, whitespace, etc.
Use chunking and emphasize key information at the beginning
and end of interactive sequences.
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16. How to Design for
Optimum Usability (Cont..)
9.Offer informative feedback about system status.
10. Include helpful navigation systems and search functionality.
11. Allow for customizable controls, including shortcuts.
12. Avoid disruptions – e.g., forced logins/pop-ups.
13. Make forms easy to complete.
14. Include warnings and autocorrect features to minimize errors.
15. Make errors easy to diagnose.
16. Offer easy-to-understand help documentation.
17. Show clear contact options.
18. Provide a back button to undo actions.
16

17. How to Design for
Optimum Usability (Cont..)
19. Include ALT tags to show more information about images.
20. Consider server abilities regarding page-loading time and
downtime.
21. Beware of in-app browsers and restrictions (e.g., scrolling) in
mobile design.
22. Make links active.
23. Describe links accurately.
24. Use user personas.
25. Do thorough usability testing.
17

18. Athulya
B
Unni
Pondicherry
University
MCA Final Year
18
References
https://www.interaction-
design.org/literature/topics/usability
https://www.webstyleguide.com/wsg3/2-
universal-usability/4-guidelines.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_usability
http://universalusability.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability
http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/trs/2001-17/2001-
17.html
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-101-
introduction-to-usability/
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-101-
introduction-to-usability/
https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/379/1
81702.html