It doesn't matter how brilliant your code is or how beautiful your design is—if your visitors can't use your website, it's useless. A website that's designed with your users in mind is the best way to achieve your goals—but how do we go about building websites that users love? In this talk, we'll take a look at the importance of website usability and we'll offer up some practical advice for ways to improve your own site. We'll also give an introduction to usability testing, along with ideas for low-friction implementation. Along the way, we'll look at lots of examples of websites that get it wrong, and a few that do it really well. You'll leave with lots of ideas to help make your websites more effective.

1. sucks!
@sarahsemark
your website
(but you can fix it)
triggersandsparks.com/talks/usability

2. sucks!
@sarahsemark
your website
(but you can fix it)
triggersandsparks.com/talks/usability

7. test the system
cause mass panic

13. experience
U
}
}
user
X

14. ability
usability
}
}
use

15. learnability1
!

16. efficiency2
⏱

17. memorability3
🧠

18. errors4
🚨

19. satisfaction5
😻

20. anyway?
who cares

21. design isn’t just
what it looks like

22. design is
how it works

24. usability
TRUMPS
aesthetics

25. money
money
money

26. the three hundred
billion dollar button

27. the three hundred
billion dollar button

28. usability
is everyone’s
problem

29. ways to make
your website
better
9

30. don’t build a wall
(of text)
1

31. don’t

32. do

33. take better
photos
2

34. don’t

35. do

36. do

37. don’t design your
errors for robots
3

38. don’t

39. don’t

40. don’t

41. do

42. don’t

43. let people do
what they want
4

44. don’t

46. my rules:
your rules:

47. don’t

48. don’t

49. do

50. don’t try
to be clever
5

51. don’t

52. do

53. don’t rewrite
convention
6

54. don’t

55. do

56. do

57. just say no
to CAPTCHAs
7

58. don’t

59. don’t

60. do

61. ask fewer
questions
8

62. don’t

63. don’t

64. do

65. consider mobile
devices
9

66. pathos

68. don’t

69. how do I know
I’m doing it right?

70. science hat
put on your

71. usertesting.com

72. hallway testing

73. focus group

74. remember!

75. yourself
talk to

76. a specific task
give them

77. helpful
don’t be

80. go forth and test!

81. thank
@sarahsemark
triggersandsparks.com/talks/usability
you