Don't Make Me Think - Response

A Good Example

Apple comes to mind as a strong example of usability. I was just looking for some new air pods and what I noticed was right when you land on the home page, it’s clear what’s being sold, and the navigation bar is simple: Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch, etc. Each section has big, bold images with short text. You don’t need to guess where to click. Everything feels clean and self-explanatory, and it made it super simple to find what I was looking for within seconds. 

Another recent example was Airbnb. The search bar is the first thing you see on the homepage - which is most likely the one thing people are looking for. You instantly know the purpose of the site. I also like how the filters, maps, and photos are all easy to use, and even someone less attuned to using internet could probably figure it out within seconds.

A Challenging Example

I recently was using Ohio's government website to when setting up my LLC. The process should have been straightforward, fill out a form, pay a fee, and get registered, but the website made it feel far more complicated. Pages were cluttered with text, links weren’t clearly labeled, and I often wasn’t sure if I was on the right step or choosing the right link to follow.

The few helpful parts were the checklists that broke things down in plain language. Those made it feel like someone was walking me through the process. However, they were buried deep within the site, so it took extra time to find them, and I actually just found them when googling something else - not directly through the website.

Takeaway

The biggest difference between a good and bad website is how much effort you have to put into finding what you need. If I can land on a page and know exactly what to do, it works. If I’m left wondering, it doesn’t and, for me, often leads to me stepping away from the website or service and finding another solution.