Practicality: The Fundamentals of User-friendliness

In the realm of user experience, one dimension stands out as the foundation upon which everything else is built - usefulness. According to Jeffrey Rubin, author of the seminal book "Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests," usefulness is the crux of the matter when it comes to usability.

Usefulness, in the context of usability, refers to the degree to which a product enables a user to achieve their goals. Without usefulness, there is no usability as such. A product without usefulness is unlikely to be needed or wanted by anyone. Users may lose patience or investigate other options if the usefulness dimension is not met.

Navigating a website or a web browser effectively demonstrates the usefulness of these tools. For instance, if a user is unable to open a link or navigate to another page, the dimension of usability related to usefulness is not satisfied. Conversely, a product that allows users to achieve their goals with ease may be tolerated despite some flaws.

Heuristics and dimensions of usability are intertwined, determining user experience. Each dimension of usability plays a significant role, but usefulness is particularly important. Ease of use, learnability, and a satisfying user experience are all significant, but not as foundational as usefulness.

Without usefulness, a product will not meet the user's goals, leading to potential loss of patience or investigation of other options. On the other hand, a product with high levels of ease of use, learnability, and a satisfying user experience may still fail to attract continued use if it does not provide usefulness.

It's important to note that usability does not end where usefulness begins; they are interconnected. A product with high levels of usability may still fail if it does not provide the necessary usefulness. In the end, usefulness is the key to a successful product, enabling goal attainment and ensuring user satisfaction.