Usability Terms Explained: Context of Use for better Interface Design – Part 2

In part 2 of this blog post on context of use I shall look more intricately into the relationship between context of use analysis and user interface design.

Context of use analysis and user interface design

The importance of understanding the context of use when producing successful interface designs has lead to the creation of a usability method called context of use analysis that is commonly used by interaction designers and interface designers. Analysis is arrived at via a brainstorming methodology in order to devise successful usability tests during the development process of a website or application. Successful user interface design requires the analysis of user experience feedback in order to create a user interface characterized by optimal usability. However, collecting meaningful user experience feedback and interpreting it is not always simple, especially when interface designers lack a solid methodology or have not thoroughly thought through their usability tests.

The name of the game here is to be well prepared. Being able to define a site’s target users or knowing what kinds of tasks they will need to perform and what types of goals they want to achieve through the interface design is key. When interface designers are unclear about these salient usability test questions, creating a test that is realistic and relevant and results in meaningful knowledge about the new interface design concept becomes difficult. Without knowing about the context of use, interface designers run the risk of creating interface designs that do not satisfy the requirements dictated by the way the products will be used in a real-life context.  The resulting interface designs are often not sufficiently usable. This is why context of use analysis is a crucial usability method: it allows designers to create tests based on predetermined context-specific user needs and performance paradigms. Thus, designers not only learn what user experience feedback to elicit and how, but also have a framework to interpret the feedback in order to create a solid interface design that works for the user.

Why is context of use analysis a vital usability strategy?

When developing a website or application interface designers need to uncover crucial usability “probe” questions that speak to the usability heart of the matter. These questions seek to ascertain valuable information and insight that may not yet have been thought of by the interface designers. These questions, often derived through collaborative brainstorming sessions, help interface designers to tackle critical usability issues head-on when they design and distribute their usability tests. The deeper understanding of the design of a system relative to the context within which it is used can be a vital contribution in saving time and money during the testing and development process. It can also lead to significantly more successful products.