A focus on usability makes good business sense by keeping customers happy and avoiding the waste of resources.

“Executives don’t realise how much of their programming dollar is wasted” says Alan Cooper, the “Father of Visual Basic” and the recipient of Microsoft’s Pioneer Award and Software visionary award.  “At least one half of every dollar is misspent and it takes another two or three dollars to fix the problems caused by the initial bad investment (Cooper, 2004).

People don't like to and shouldn't  be made to feel inadequate when they are using a product or service.  A bad customer experience can cost a business in many ways.

This topic provides:

• Data on the cost benefits of usability and the hidden costs of systems with poor usability

• Describes interaction design as the key means of achieving usability and cost benefits