Utility vs. Usability

The other day someone posed the question – “What is the difference between utility and usability?”

At first glance there doesn’t seem to be much difference. But looking closer you can see it.

In general Utility is serviceableness, applicability, appropriateness, advantageous. This suggests that whatever the object is (e.g. software application) there is an advantage to using it.

What Utility doesn’t state – is the ease with which the object can be used.

That’s where Usability comes in. Of the many definitions of Usability that I encountered one seems to sum it up quite nicely - “The ease with which people can employ a particular tool ..in order to achieve a particular goal”.

Good products have both components – it is essential that the tool provide some advantage otherwise why have it. But if it is so difficult to employ that users are discouraged from using it then it’s value is greatly diminished and the advantages are lost.

So the equation not :

UTILITY = USABILITY

But rather

UTILITY + USABILITY = ADVANTAGE