What aspect of usability is critical for ensuring users can use information successfully?

Effective design is critical for ensuring users can successfully use information because it encompasses the overall structure, layout, and functionality of the information presented. Good design makes information accessible and intuitive, allowing users to navigate, comprehend, and utilize the information efficiently. Effective design integrates usability principles, ensuring text is clear and legible, navigation flows logically, and interactive elements are easily understandable and usable.

When users encounter information that is well-designed, they are more likely to find what they need quickly and without frustration. This includes considerations of cognitive load, where reducing unnecessary complexity in design helps users to focus on the task at hand without being overwhelmed by extraneous details or poorly organized information.

On the other hand, while detailed instructions, visual aids, and the complexity of the task can also play important roles in usability, they are more supplementary to the overall design. A well-designed layout and structure can enhance the effectiveness of instructions and visual aids, making them more accessible. Yet if the design itself is flawed, even the best instructions or aids won't significantly improve user experience. Therefore, effective design is the cornerstone of usability, allowing all other elements to function effectively within that framework.