Hard-to-use

Describing a product, system, or interface that is difficult or cumbersome for a user to operate or understand effectively. This difficulty may stem from poor design, complex controls, confusing instructions, or a lack of intuitive functionality. A 'hard-to-use' item often requires significant effort, time, and potential frustration to learn and apply, hindering the user's ability to achieve their intended goals with ease and efficiency. This contrasts sharply with user-friendly designs which prioritize simplicity, clarity, and an effortless experience for the user. A hard-to-use system may involve non-obvious workflows or obscure features, making everyday tasks unnecessarily challenging.

Hard-to-use meaning with examples

• The software's complicated interface and cryptic error messages made it notoriously hard-to-use, leading to frequent calls to customer support. Employees found it difficult to navigate the application, often wasting valuable time searching for simple features or encountering unexpected bugs, which hindered their productivity.
• Despite its advanced features, the new smart thermostat was ultimately hard-to-use. Setting up schedules and customizing preferences required navigating a poorly designed touch screen and confusing menu options, making it frustrating to use the feature on a daily basis.
• The complex control panel on the industrial machinery was designed with multiple buttons and switches, leading to a hard-to-use system. Even experienced technicians took a significant amount of time to master all of the functionality and often made mistakes during operation or calibration of the machine.
• The online banking platform's security features were overcomplicated to the point it was considered hard-to-use, users struggled with the convoluted authentication process and multiple passwords made every transaction a nuisance, resulting in numerous user complaints.
• After an extensive review, the client determined the prototype's complicated navigation and non-intuitive design elements made it hard-to-use. The user testing also showed that a significant portion of testers gave up during crucial tasks like account setup or configuration, due to the interface's shortcomings.