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Usability and accessibility play an important role in developing a successful user-centric product. The Spin Group, Inc. employs usability practices in all of its application development. It is necessary to look at it from an end-user's point of view in order to create a successful tool. An application can be more problematic if it is not accessible for the targeted end-users.

According to the international standard, ISO 9241-11, usability is defined as, "The extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context use." ¹

Usability directly affects end-users by optimizing how they are able to utilize a tool like an online mortgage calculator. Spin Group determines what the end-user is trying to accomplish with an application and its overall goals. The firm also evaluates the end-user's environment, how it affects his or her ability to perform specific tasks, and what alternative methods might be available to accomplish those tasks.

Spin Group gathers as much information about the end-user as possible. That information is then used to develop an application that allows the end-user to successfully accomplish his or her goals and also have a good user experience.

Accessibility, in the case of using the Internet, primarily deals with making web content attainable to people with disabilities. Guidelines such as the U.S. Section 508 guidelines ², which require Federal agencies' electronic and information technologies to be accessible by people with disabilities, were developed to address accessibility issues.

Designing a new website with accessibility in mind isn't difficult, but modifying existing websites to make them accessible is difficult and can be costly. Spin Group looks at accessible design as being good design.