Hello everyone! I hope you have all been staying safe and practicing social distancing during these unprecedented times. Much like the virus itself, I too have not stopped working. Last week I began studying usability and its relevance to media professionals in the age of technology.

According to class lecture, usability is, “a measure of a persons experience with a user interface from software to hardware.” This definition immediately brought to mind all of the technology I use on a daily basis. The iPhone with its seamless user interface, and the Windows PC with its intuitive and interactive operating system. While these gadgets surely do add value to my life with their friendly usability, I began to think back a step about other pieces of technology in my life that I take for granted.

I read the article, “What is universal usability,” this week, and it simply defined usability as, “the measure of a tools effectiveness.” I was holding my beloved Hydroflask in hand at the time I was reading this article, and I began to think about its design. Easily re-screwable cap at the top with a nice handle on it, as size that holds the perfect amount of drinking water, a durable frame. The Hydroflask was so easy and convenient to use that I had never even actually given thought to its design. That is great usability.