Images of usability

The most common user action on a Web site is to flee. – Edward Tufte

Images of usability is an important tool for looking at your product from different angles.

Images of usability is a theory about usability. It states that there are six definitions or images rather, of usability. Each of these images provide a partial but different view of usability and can be used to generate complementary insight about the usability of systems.

Universal usability seeks to make a system universally easy to use. Situational usability states that the usability is equivalent to the quality-in-use of a system in a specific use situation. Perceived usability is about the users subjective experience with the interaction. Hedonic usability is about the joy of use and emotions related to the interaction. Organizational usability usability implies groups of people working together. Cultural usability states that the usability of a product is dependant on the users cultural background.

Collectively these images can give you a wider scope when it comes to usability testing and make sure that you acknowledge that your users can assume different images.