The ultimate aim of a design is not to be useful or usable but for users to use that design. Two famous examples of this exist in the sphere of personal transport. The first will probably be a distant memory to most of our readers, the Sinclair C5.
Sir Clive Sinclair was among the industry leaders who popularized computing and helped it get into the home.
His ZX Sinclair range of computers sold millions of units and the happy buzz of tape loading games was heard in homes all over the planet.
On the back of this success Sir Clive decided to unveil his passion project. A one-person battery powered and environmentally friendly car. Millions of pounds were invested in the C5 and its launch. It was both useful and usable but sadly, the public hated it.
Nobody would use a C5 it was universally mocked on British TV and media. As a result, the product sold only 5, units from an initial production run of 14, before the company went into receivership.
The second was rather more recent. The Segway, a personal vehicle which allows users to go anywhere pretty much on two wheels was unveiled in and launched in In reality it sold fewer than 30, units in the 6 years following its release.
Why did these two useful and usable products fail to get used? Well, in the case of the Sinclair C5 the product failed to meet a defined need. Users should be able to interact with a system in ways that best suit their needs. The system should be flexible enough to permit a range of preferences. A system is robust if a user is given the means to achieve their goals, to assess their progress and to recover from any errors made.
In a later unit we will look at each of these aspects and consider ways in which they can be achieved. Answer to this question can be found at the end of the chapter.
Usefulness and Usability Prev Chapter 1. Utility noun computing A software program designed to perform a single task or a small range of tasks, often to help manage and tune computer hardware, an operating system or application software. Utility noun sports The ability to play multiple positions. Utility adjective Having to do with, or owned by, a service provider.
Utility noun The quality or state of being useful; usefulness; production of good; profitableness to some valuable end; as, the utility of manure upon land; the utility of the sciences; the utility of medicines.
Utility noun Adaptation to satisfy the desires or wants; intrinsic value. Utility noun Happiness; the greatest good, or happiness, of the greatest number, - the foundation of utilitarianism. Utility noun a company that performs a public service; subject to government regulation. Utility noun the quality of being of practical use. Utility noun economics a measure that is to be maximized in any situation involving choice.
Utility adjective used of beef; usable but inferior. Utility Within economics, the concept of utility is used to model worth or value. Usability Illustrations.
Popular Comparisons. Adress vs. Comming vs. Label vs. Genius vs. Speech vs. Chief vs. Teat vs. Neice vs. Buisness vs. A lot of features and easy functionality cannot themselves determine the success of the product unless the users can find it valuable or useful.
The core objective of the product should be accepted by the users first. That core purpose should be able to improve their life or work in a new way. If users can find such a value in your product, they will consider it useful and accept it. The startup sector is major fuel in the global economic growth. Many extremely talented youngsters jump on to the challenges of entrepreneurship instead of seeking jobs in well-established companies.
They have great passion, skillset, creativity and courage to make their own mark in the industry. However, at the same time we can see that most of the startups fail to achieve success in a long run.
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