What Makes Technology Truly Usable? A Deep Dive into Usability
Usability is all about making technology easy and enjoyable for people to use. It’s more than just how quickly someone can figure out a system or how few mistakes they make—it’s about the whole experience. From reading Issa and Isaias (2015), I’ve come to see usability as a journey. It’s about creating a bridge between what technology can do and what people actually need it to do. The key? Put people at the centre of the process. Listen to their feedback, make adjustments, and keep improving. Usability is never a one-and-done deal; it’s an ongoing evolution.
But here’s the catch: in education, usability has to go further. Learning tools can’t just be easy to use—they have to help people learn effectively. Educational usability means designing tools that support learning by managing cognitive load, offering step-by-step guidance, and providing clear feedback. For example, a great tool doesn’t overwhelm users with too much information at once; instead, it guides them along in a way that’s engaging and meaningful. Accessibility is also critical, ensuring that learners of all abilities can use the tool. So, while general usability is about simplicity and efficiency, educational usability is about creating an environment where people can grow and succeed.
When Usability Goes Wrong: Lessons from Woolgar
Woolgar’s work is a bit of a reality check. I would admit it was not an easy read but it was indeed cynically humorous and engaging. It shows how even with the best intentions, things can go wrong. He uses the term “configuring users,” which is basically about the assumptions designers make about who will use a system and how. Sometimes, those assumptions are way off, and that’s where the problems start.
Take one example Woolgar discusses: designers assumed that all users were tech-savvy. They built an interface that required users to know shortcuts and technical terms. But when real users tried it, they struggled because they didn’t have that knowledge. It’s like handing someone a manual car without teaching them how to drive stick shift. Another example is how designers simplified tasks for usability trials. They broke tasks into neat little steps to make testing easier, but real-life tasks are messier and interconnected. The system worked fine in a lab, but when people tried to use it in the real world, it didn’t meet their needs. These examples are a reminder: you can’t design in a bubble. Real-world testing with real users is essential.
Additionally, while I was reading both texts, I couldn’t help but think back to my own experience with my work team during the transition from existing system to a new system launched recently. It was a tough change, and I remember asking why the program admin staff—the ones using the system daily—weren’t consulted more. Apparently, new system did consult users, but they focused on higher-level graduate program advisors rather than the admin staff who dealt with the system every day. To make things worse, they didn’t even include students as users, even though they’re a key group. That experience really drove home the lesson for me: systems need to be designed for the actual users, not just a select group. The user shouldn’t have to adapt to the system—the system should adapt to them.
Two Ways to Think About Usability
This brings me to two very different ways people think about usability. One sees usability as a technical problem to solve with metrics and testing. It’s about speed, accuracy, and reducing errors. The other sees usability as a human-centered journey, focusing on how technology fits into people’s lives and adapts to their needs. It’s less about numbers and more about a holistic and compassionate approach to understanding one’s experiences.
Both approaches have their strengths. The first is great for ensuring a system is functional and efficient. But the second makes sure it’s meaningful and adaptable. The best designs, I think, strike a balance between these two views. They deliver solid performances while also feeling natural and intuitive to use.
Why It Matters
After much exploration, one thing is clear: usability isn’t just a box to check off. It’s about creating experiences that truly meet people’s needs. For educational tools, that means going beyond the basics to support learning in a way that’s engaging and effective. Woolgar’s examples highlight how easy it is to make wrong assumptions, and my own experience with Workday reinforces the importance of consulting the right users. The two views on usability remind us that good design needs both efficiency and a holistic and compassionate approach to understanding one’s experiences. At the end of the day, the best systems meet people where they are and help them get where they want to go. That’s what makes technology truly usable.
