Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Rank: 1383

The title of the book is its chief personal design premise.

All of the tips, techniques, and examples presented revolve around users being able to surf merrily through a well-designed site with minimal cognitive strain.

Readers will quickly come to agree with many of the book's assumptions, such as "We don't read pages--we scan them" and "We don't figure out how things work--we muddle through." Coming to grips with such hard facts sets the stage for Web design that then produces topnotch sites.

Using an attractive mix of full-color screen shots, cute cartoons and diagrams, and informative sidebars, the book keeps your attention and drives home some crucial points. Much of the content is devoted to proper use of conventions and content layout, and the "before and after" examples are superb.

Topics such as the wise use of rollovers and usability testing are covered using a consistently practical approach.

This is the type of book you can blow through in a couple of evenings.

But despite its conciseness, it will give you an expert's ability to judge Web design. You'll never form a first impression of a site in the same way again. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• User patterns
• Designing for scanning
• Wise use of copy
• Navigation design
• Home page layout
• Usability testing

About the Author

Steve Krug is a highly respected usability consultant who has worked quietly for years for companies like Apple, Netscape, AOL, BarnesandNoble.com, Excite@Home, and Circle.com. Don't Make Me Think! is the product of more than ten years experience as a user advocate.

Editorials

	Book Description
	People won't use your web site if they can't find their way around it. Whether you call it usability, ease-of-use, or just good design, companies staking their fortunes and their futures on their Web sites are starting... read full editorial
	From the Author
	Even if every Web site could afford a usability expert (which they can't), there just aren't enough of us to go around. So I tried to boil down what I've learned over the years (principles like "Don't make me think" and "Get... read full editorial
	From the Back Cover
	People won't use your web site if they can't find their way around it. Whether you call it usability, ease-of-use, or just good design, companies staking their fortunes and their futures on their Web sites are starting... read full editorial

Customer Reviews

	Great guide to usability
	(Boston, MA USA) August 31, 2002 - 5.0/5 stars
	Short and to the point, this book is the place to start for anyone involved in any way with websites of any type, from simple personal homepages to massive e-commerce sites. It doesn't require any technical knowledge, and... read full review
	Great Message, Krug Practices what he preaches
	(Corpus Christi, TX United States) May 23, 2003 - 5.0/5 stars
	This is a great book. People should be tested over this book before being allowed to use web editing software. The one-liners really sink in and reinforce the basic ideas of usability. As Krug says, "This isn't Rocket Surgery".
	finally a usable book on usability...
	(Cambridge, MA USA) April 5, 2003 - 5.0/5 stars
	In a world of overinflated designer egos and concomitantly overinflated books on usability, Krug's minimum opus is very refreshing. Krug successfully elucidates some situations in which simply copying [website]... read full review

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