Progress in usability

Web usability is one of the most important topics pertaining to web design; however, how much has web usability improved over the years?

Dr. Jakob Nielsen recently compiled data regarding usability improvements over the past decade.

According to Nielsen (2010), "Over the past decade, usability improved by 6% per year. This is a faster rate than most other fields, but much slower than technology advances might have predicted" (Summary section).

As a result, web designers are making progress at a somewhat low amount of speed.

Nielsen further writes, "So, why is usability less like technology and more like all other fields of human progress? Because usability is about humans, not computers. We're designing around the fixed limitations of the human mind, and we have to improve websites and products within the constraints of organizational inertia. It's not enough for a designer to attend a usability seminar and learn the guidelines for making websites easier. The designer also has to convince the marketing VP, which can take years" (Progress in Other Fields section, para. 7).

Therefore, the human element is a leading factor that influences web usability, which web designers should always be aware of.

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Nielsen, J. (2010, February 22). Progress in usability: Fast or slow? Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/usability-progress-rate.html