A Mental model is what the user understands about the user system. It is one of the more significant concepts in human-computer interaction (HCI).

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- Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
- Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
- Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
- Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?
- Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

Components of Usability

Nielsen, J. (2010, October 7). Mental models and User Experience Design. Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/mental-models/ 

Mental Models

Search interfaces are evaluated based on usability:
- Effectiveness
- Efficiency
- Satisfaction

Evaluation of Search Interfaces

One major usability design flaw is when users cannot find content when making searches for basic material or when it isn’t easily accessible to mission-critical pages, this is a result of the site having low findability and discoverability. 

- Findability: Users are able to efficiently locate content or functionality in an application or website that they presume exists.


- Discoverability: Users come across unfamiliar content or functionality without knowing beforehand. 

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