What do you do if your software's usability is lacking?

The first step is like detective work. I identify all the usability issues present in the software. This involves user testing sessions, where I observe participants as they navigate the software and complete tasks. I also collect their feedback through surveys and interviews to understand their frustrations and areas for improvement.

Whenever confronted with below-average software usability, I activate a multi-pronged strategy consisting of three main components. Initially, I compile elaborate records of encountered glitches, integrating visual references and sorting them by relevance. Next, I lead collective discussions involving practitioners hailing from disparate fields, namely developers, UI designers, project coordinators, and management figures, to examine hurdles and generate promising resolutions. Concluding the procedure, I invest in steady enhancement sustained by periodic inspections, corrections, and tuning, all grounded in agile methodologies, consequently safeguarding exceptional user experience scores.

In a very recent project that I worked on the problem statement was quite simple - make a dashboard for the leadership team to evaluate their workforce. We did all the research and testing and finally ideated on the designs and took it to the end users that would be using it. It was to all out shock we figured out that one of the top executive was completely colour blind. It was difficult for him to understand the shades of colours and we had to go back to drawing board again incorporating his feedback wherever possible. This taught me a valuable lesson that when it comes to understanding the problem statement you can never be thorough and just be like we are done. There will always be something that will jump right at you.

From my perspective, these methods are good for addressing this issue: 1- Conduct usability testing: Leverage the various usability testing tools and services, such as UserTesting, Lookback, Hotjar, and Maze. 2- Prioritize user-centered design: Ensure that the design and development process is focused on the user's needs and experiences. 3- Improve information architecture: Evaluate the organization and navigation of the software to ensure users can easily find and access the features and information they need. 4- Provide clear and helpful guidance: Implement features like tooltips, onboarding flows, and contextual help to assist users in understanding and navigating the software effectively.

Don't panic—here's a roadmap to guide you through the process of improvement. Start by gathering feedback directly from your users and conducting thorough usability testing to pinpoint areas of concern. Prioritize issues based on impact and available resources, then iterate on design changes to enhance usability. Consider involving UX experts for professional insights and provide comprehensive user training and support. Monitor user behavior and stay agile in your development approach, communicating changes transparently. By prioritizing user feedback and actively addressing usability issues, you can transform your software into a user-friendly powerhouse.

In client projects, I always found out that they always push for the release as quick as possible due to strict timelines, and also in these situations the usability testing aspect is mostly overlooked. Thankfully there are a plethora of plug-ins and 3rd part applications that let you do a bit of testing in Figma, sketch etc. For example "Stark" which is a plugin that I found in Figma is a good tool for quick testing and simulations. It helps me fine tune and tweak my designs swiftly.

Not all issues are created equal. Once I have a list, I prioritize the usability issues based on their severity and impact. Critical issues that prevent users from completing tasks are top priority. High-severity issues cause significant frustration, while medium-priority ones might be minor inconveniences. Considering the number of users affected also helps me focus on the issues with the broadest impact.

With a prioritized list in hand, I work with the development team to fix the usability issues. This might involve redesigning user interfaces, improving workflows, or writing clearer error messages. The goal is to address the identified problems and create a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.

These days the design community has come a long way in terms of solving most of the obvious issues pertaining to a problem statement before we even take it to testing. But I have found that its at this testing phase that we begin to find out the loopholes in the designs. We need to have our pen and paper out and be a fly in the wall while the users do their thing and it becomes very important to have a open mind when it comes to user feedbacks. Incorporating those feedbacks according to priority involves another exercise by the team where the priority matrix needs to be looked into feature wise and start fixing things.

Just because something is fixed, doesn't mean it's perfect. I evaluate the usability improvements by conducting follow-up tests with users. This helps me gauge the effectiveness of the implemented changes and identify any unintended consequences. Remember, usability testing is an iterative process refinement is key to achieving optimal user satisfaction.

Design is always iterative. If a design needs to be relevant then it needs to pass through the test of time. The basic principles that govern the design could be the same but the feature-sets along with the UI can keep changing as users keep adapting and also asking for more. This means to have testing done in predetermined intervals. Also revamping a whole design suit requires a plethora of resources both from a development as well as design standpoint for any firm and when its time that its feasible enough to push for that revamp from a cost and time perspective the plunge should be taken.

Usability is an ongoing pursuit, not a one-time fix. I keep improving my software's usability by continuously collecting user feedback through various channels. This might involve in-app surveys, user interviews, or monitoring user behavior through analytics tools. By staying attuned to user needs and proactively addressing usability issues, I can ensure my software remains user-friendly and enjoyable for everyone.

A design has a lifecycle attached to it according to the relevance of that design to the users. This is something that needs to be closely watched. I have found that we all do a predetermined timeline we allot to a particular design but its keeps changing. Sometimes the design outlives the lifecycle initially set for it and at time it become obsolete due to a new player in the market that adds to the competition. Either way improvement should be pushed at all stages.