UX vs. Usability

What is the difference between user experience and usability - and why is this distinction important?

Definitions

Usability describes the usability of a product: How easy is it to use and how efficiently can tasks be solved with it?
User Experience (UX) describes the comprehensive user experience - including emotions, expectations and impressions before, during and after the interaction.

Similarities and Differences

Usability

Usability describes how effectively, efficiently and satisfactorily a user can use a system. It is a measurable quality.

Task-oriented: Focus is on goal achievement
Measurable: e.g. error rate, time, task success rate
Example: A form that can be filled out quickly and without errors
Sub-area of UX

User Experience

UX encompasses the entire perception and reaction of a user - including emotions, trust and aesthetic impressions.

Overall: before, during and after use
Subjective: strongly influenced by context, expectation and emotion
Example: an app that is fun to use because it is intuitive, looks elegant and inspires confidence
Includes usability - but also e.g. branding, look & feel, expectation management

Conclusion

User experience and usability are closely linked - but they are not the same thing.
Usability is an important prerequisite for good UX, but UX goes further: it also includes emotional and contextual factors.

Take Home Message

Good usability makes a product usable - good UX makes it meaningful.

Example

An online store can have very good usability: The ordering process is clearly structured and navigation is simple.
Nevertheless, the UX can be negative - for example, if the page appears emotionless, does not contain any trust-building elements or does not make the purchasing process enjoyable.

Deepening & Application

UX and usability can be recorded, evaluated and improved using various methods - for example:

Usability tests: Observe whether users can solve tasks without problems - a central component in the usability engineering process.
UX-KPIs: Systematically record perception, satisfaction and efficiency, e.g. via Task Success Rate and Time-on-Task.
Emotional reactions: Ask specifically about frustration, joy or trust, e.g. with the thinking-aloud method.
Heuristic evaluation: Check usability using recognized usability principles such as the dialog principles according to ISO 9241-110.
Journey Mapping: Visualize the holistic context of use and identify emotional touchpoints - particularly useful for complex user interfaces.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is usability?

Usability refers to the suitability of a product for use. It describes how effectively, efficiently and satisfactorily users can achieve their goals with a system. Usability is measurable and defined in standards, e.g. in ISO 9241-11.

What does user experience (UX) mean?

UX encompasses the entire user experience - including emotions, expectations and impressions before, during and after interaction. It goes beyond pure usability and also includes aesthetic and emotional factors.

What is the difference between UX and usability?

Usability is a sub-area of UX. While usability measures functional quality and operability, UX also considers emotional, contextual and subjective aspects of use.

Can a product have good usability but poor UX?

Yes, a system can be easy to use (good usability) but still offer a poor UX if, for example, it seems emotionless, does not create trust or is not enjoyable.

Why is the distinction important?

Because UX optimization doesn't end with usability. For a positive overall experience, emotional factors, brand impact and context of use must also be taken into account.

How are UX and usability related?

Good usability is a prerequisite for positive UX, but it's not enough. UX also integrates the user's perception, emotions and expectations.

Last modified: 2 November 2025