Usability guru, Jakob Nielsen recently reported on the findings from his group’s usability study of Amazon’s Kindle Fire. It was big news. The group found the Fire’s user experience to be “disappointingly poor.” While it is interesting to know what they identified as the usability shortcomings, I wanted to call attention to Nielsen’s response to the feedback the report received. Why? Because it has a couple of important insights for small businesses about usability.

First, let’s recap what led to the “disappointingly poor” user experience rating.

1. Users struggled with fat-fingering. There were frequent tap errors and accidental activation on non-mobile websites using the Fire. The study found users were more accurate when they used mobile sites typically designed for phones.
2. The device is too heavy. As an e-reader, the study found the Fire too heavy to comfortably hold over a long period of time. It is a device meant to be used with one hand; however, despite being lighter than the iPad (a device designed for two hands), it is still too heavy for single-handed use over a long period of time.
3. There are no physical buttons for turning the page. The lack of physical buttons requires the user to tap the screen to turn the page, which interrupts the reading experience.
4. There are other UI design problems. They found the screen updates were slow and broke the illusion of direct manipulation. Also, users couldn’t detect the highlighting feedback around buttons because it was too small to see around their fingers.

The report was widely publicized and generated a ton of feedback, some of which was critical. In his rebuttal to the critics, Nielsen wrote two comments that are so important for the small business audience. First, he stated that the Fire “feels like a product that was rushed into production. A few extra months of usability studies, iterative design, and more sophisticated programming would have worked wonders.”

The battle between timing the release of a product or website and getting the design right is something that small businesses frequently face. It is so tempting to get something out to the public so you can start to see some return on your investment. Clients sometimes say they want to get a project out there to generate some revenue which they intend to reinvest later in designing for a better user experience. Was it worth it to Amazon to sacrifice usability and performance just so that the Fire could be a wrapped up under the Christmas tree? Amazon has the brand, presence, and resources to overcome the unfortunate debut, but your business may not. You may not have a second chance with your clients. It is critical to take the opportunity during the formation of a website or product, when making changes is the most affordable, to get the design right.

Nielsen also states it is important to report on the usability failings of high profile products, such as the Kindle Fire, because companies with tighter budgets tend to follow the lead of larger companies that they assume have invested in usability studies, focus groups, and market testing. The Fire’s shortcomings teach us that the big guys don’t always get it right. That’s why it’s important for small businesses to invest in their own expert reviews and usability tests. The insights you’ll gain are invaluable because they are particular to your product, your service, and your website. Sure, there are things to be learned from the big guys, but sometimes they are “what not to dos.”

Jakob Nielsen’s Kindle Fire Usability Study

Source by Jessica G McMillen