As Donald Norman stated in his book, Things That Make Us Smart, “The power of the unaided mind is highly overrated. Without external aids, memory, thought, and reasoning are all constrained…The real powers come from devising external aids that enhance cognitive abilities.”
Why is usability such a major aspect of the user experience of a product? Because an easy-to-use product makes a user feel smart.
When someone can sit down to a new software application and just use it, without reading any documentation, without watching an intro video, either consciously or subconsciously, they will feel smart. This “smart” feeling creates a positive emotional attachment to your product, creating a better user experience, and helping keep that user as a customer.
Now, does your product or service make your customers feel smart?
