ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the design characteristics associated with usability. Designing a product for consistency means that similar tasks should be performed in similar ways. The layout of the controls in cars is a good example of the benefits of consistency. Designing for compatibility means ensuring that the way a product works fits in with users’ expectations based on their knowledge of the ‘outside world’. Designing a product so that its method of operation is compatible with users’ expectations based on their knowledge of other types of products and the ‘outside world’. When interacting with a product a user may be using a variety of their resources or ‘channels’. Designing a product so that its method of operation takes into account the demands placed on the users’ resources during interaction. It is important that interfaces provide clear feedback about any actions that the user has taken.
