this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025
71 points (97.3% liked)

Technology

72262 readers
3276 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
L4s@hackingne.ws
71
The Decline of Usability: Revisited | datagubbe.se (datagubbe.se)
submitted 3 days ago by 2xsaiko@discuss.tchncs.de to c/technology@lemmy.world
9 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

In which we once more delve into the world of user interface design.

Autumn 2023

Three years ago, I wrote a rant about the problems of our current UI paradigm. The complaints I voiced were hardly new or unique, neither was the text what I'd consider my best writing. It was, honestly, mostly a way to blow off steam. It seems I struck a nerve, though, because it's proven to be one of the most popular texts I've published here. For some time, I've thought about writing a follow-up, and a recent resurgence in the text's popularity prompted me to finally do so.

[…]

What were we talking about?

Usability, as defined by Wikipedia, is "the capacity of a system to provide a condition for its users to perform the tasks safely, effectively, and efficiently while enjoying the experience." Its relation to software is further specified: "In software engineering, usability is the degree to which a software can be used by specified consumers to achieve quantified objectives with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a quantified context of use." […]

In short, usability is the ease with which a predetermined task can be accomplished. Consequently, "It looks fresh" isn't usability; it's aesthetics. Likewise, the lack of a specific program feature isn't the same as being able to use it as easily, efficiently and safely as possible. […]

[…]

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

MS has been doing that little by little since windows XP. Keeping the useful control panel and system elements, but burying them under layers of "user-friendly" menus that offer little to no actual control.

[–] DrunkenPirate@feddit.org 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Even though it’s common to bully on Microsoft, it’s not true in this case. There have been many studies and user tests to find an understandable way for users to reach that massive functionality of the MS office software. The Ribbon interface was the best in those testings.

[–] justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 0 points 2 days ago

Not talking about office. Talking about the control panel for windows itself.

E.G. network adapter settings. Used to be up front, now you have to dig for them.