Usability What you should know about the user-friendliness of applications

Business applications often fail due to poor user-friendliness - and not, as is often assumed, due to a lack of functionality. This leads to errors and slower processes. Usability is not a luxury. But what does usability mean and how can it be improved?

Philipp Erdkönig works as a consultant at Webcon.

Some developers mistakenly think that an application with intuitive controls is already user-friendly. They therefore try to adapt their design to the user's expectations or make applications as simple as possible. But this approach has a number of problems. Firstly, the presumed expectations are very different. They vary from user to user, from department to department and from situation to situation. And since developers and users rarely think the same way, this is where the first misunderstandings arise.

Secondly, many people equate intuitive with simplified. But in practice, complex tasks can hardly be performed in simple business applications. If an application is too simple, it may be useless for carrying out a task. For example, it could make too many false assumptions and fail at the first inconsistency in the process. As a result, it is no longer helpful for the user, who may not know how to use the application. Input errors or even worse are then unavoidable.

And thirdly, intuitive control is difficult to define. Because what exactly does it mean? How can this intuitive user guidance be tested or even improved? After all, this term is an abstract concept that has no added value for everyday operations and is difficult - if not impossible - to develop.

Measures for a better user experience

Realistic and achievable goals for the use of applications are essential for regulated business operations based on digitalized processes. They should be able to be implemented in a short time, with as few instructions as possible and with as few errors as possible. This not only enables companies to achieve their business goals more effectively, but also makes the everyday lives of their employees easier. What parameters should they pay particular attention to?

1. task orientation

Many applications are based on a data-driven principle: the user opens a form that represents a collection of data - for example, a customer data sheet or an invoice. They then have to decide what they want to do with it and how to do it. This is not always easy and can often be better implemented with task-oriented user guidance. Such an interface is based on the task to be performed and not on the resources required for it. Software and installation wizards or online store payment processes, for example, follow this principle.

If interfaces are task-oriented rather than data-oriented, they inform the user about the current process, place important elements in the correct context and reliably guide the user through all steps. They bring the relevant information to the fore and temporarily hide everything else. They also give feedback and provide documentation, online help and tool tips. This is actually a matter of course. But developers rarely take the time to provide the user with all this information in a user-friendly way.

2. consistency

Consistency is important, but not easy to achieve. If five developers each write an application with different tools, five different user experiences are likely to be created. This means that employees also need to be trained for each of these applications. And this means that they have to constantly rethink when switching between these applications during the course of a working day. This means that errors are inevitable in the long run.

With five applications, this may still be manageable. But in larger companies in particular, a veritable jungle of applications quickly emerges. Uniform standards and conventions are therefore recommended so that employees can adapt to certain best practices. If applications are designed similarly, no further training is required. This saves valuable working time and reduces the burden on the training/support budget.

3. reduction of the steps

Some developers do not ensure that their applications have a lean design. Users often have to carry out countless steps for a single process. Take expense reports, for example: systems designed for this purpose are supposed to make accounting easier and pass on important information to the finance department in a clear manner. However, they often require additional work from employees. IT departments often defend such applications by claiming that the overall throughput of the system needs to be optimized, that only a few employees travel abroad at all or that the time of certain employees is more expensive.

However, comprehensive applications can contain steps that neither the accounting department nor the employees need to perform. There are online web services for currency conversion, for example, so that manual entry of the date, amount and national currency is sufficient. A photo of the receipts or automatic capture using Optical Character Recognition (OCR for short) makes handling easier and avoids additional steps - even if the data needs to be checked again and corrected if necessary.

Reducing such work steps is not about depriving people of their activities, but about maximizing the effectiveness of processes. Automated and error-free processes save time so that employees can concentrate on other things than repetitive admin tasks.

4. Reduced risk of error

If employees fail to check the exchange rates for each transaction date in the above expense report, errors can quickly creep in and they may overcharge or undercharge their employer. This can be avoided with the help of automation. A transparent display also helps with correct implementation - for example, an overview of the steps already taken and the next steps. Intelligently developed applications reduce the risk of errors and offer the opportunity to make any necessary adjustments. Here too, it is worth taking a look at e-commerce: checkout pages of online stores are often ideally designed in this respect.

Good design makes IT applications popular with employees

Normally, IT applications do not trigger storms of enthusiasm among employees. They use them out of convenience or because best practice demands it. They do not usually applaud a new application form. However, an intelligent and user-friendly design can help to ensure that the use of new applications for digitized processes is welcomed by all employees. With a carefully developed application, forms can be completed quickly and without errors. Users don't spend unnecessary time figuring out how to use the application. And this leads to optimized and more efficient processes, increasing not only employee productivity but also their satisfaction.