This is pre-edited version of a column written for Computers In Libraries. Marketing through usability One of the best forms of marketing the technology of your library is word of mouth. There are many different articulations for usability including ergonomics, human computer interaction, and user centered design. This column describes usability and how it relates to the future of library service. Effectiveness is the extent to which a goal, or task, is achieved.
Efficiency is the amount of effort required to accomplish a goal.
Satisfaction is the level of comfort that the user feels when using a product and how acceptable the product is to users as vehicle for achieving their goals. Put into my own words, a product or service is highly usable if the product or service can be used as a tool to accomplish a set of defined tasks easily and with a minimum of frustration. Ideally, frustration should not exist at all. Instead, the tool should instill sense of accomplishment upon the completion of the tasks. A great deal of books, articles, websites, conferences, and consultants all exist in the name of usability.