Usability – Talking about Consistency

One great tool you can leverage to improve the usability of your system is consistency.

• Consistency with yourself (internal)
  • Consistent Language- For example, if a user is trying to complete an order through a website, the website should pick “Buy”, “Purchase”, or “Complete Order,” not a mixture of different words. This is similar in a cell phone website when referring to a mobile phone, is it a mobile phone, mobile, cell phone, cell, or just phone?
  • Consistent Layout – The navigation in websites should be consistent, such as Home Page link, or the search bar should be in one place as the user flows through the website. Another example is the tabbed pane widget:

  If a tab is selected that is not on the front row, the tabs reorganize themselves to bring the tab to the front row.

While the tabs bring the active tab to the front, the orientation changes drastically which can result in disorientation for the user.

• Consistency with Representation - In different players on the internet, after pausing the player, a pause symbol will appear on the screen to show the state that the video is paused…while in other video players a play button will appear to show the action that will happen by selecting this button. An Switching tabs, hard to find

• Consistency with the environment (external) - Keep in mind the platform your application is developed for. Follow the standards for that platform, such as having a “File” menu with an “Exit” option on the windows platform.

• Consistency with previous experience – Make sure your consistent with the users experience whether in applications or in real life. If the user presses a button with a right facing arrow, make sure the button indicates a “play” action to mimic the playing that occurs in real life. An example of a violation of being consistent with the experience is using words such as “Okay” to mean canceling an action and “Cancel ” meaning to continue on with the action as seen here.

If a user already has some familiarity to your system because of consistency, your interface is easier to learn!