The presentation was created for my colleagues to get them interested in one of the best books I have read on usability.
This is a book summary of "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug, for posting on our blog. This is an excellent book that we recommend to all our users interested in web design. My sincere thanks to Steve Krug for allowing me to summarize the book share this.
I strongly recommend this book to everyone in the field of web usability / user experience design.
5. Billboard design 101
Design for scanning, not reading.
– Create a clear visual hierarchy
– Conventions are your friends
– Break pages into clearly defined areas
– Make obvious what is clickable
– Keep the noise down to a dull roar
6. Why users like mindless choices
Law # 2: It doesn’t matter how many times I click, as long
as each click is a mindless, unambiguous choice.
7. Omit needless words
• Happy talk must die!
• Instructions must die!
Law # 3: Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
rid of half of what is left.
8. Street signs and Breadcrumbs
The Trunk Test
• What site is this?
• What page am I on?
• What are the major sections of this site?
• What are my options at this level?
• Where am I in the scheme of things?
• How can I search?
People won’t use your website if they can’t find their way
around it.
9. The Home Page is beyond your control
5 Questions a Home Page should answer:
1. What is this?
2. What do they have here?
3. What can I do here?
4. Why should I be here and not somewhere else?
5. Where do I start?
10. Arguments about usability are a waste of time
“Everybody likes ______”
The myth of the Average User
The antidote to religious debates: usability testing.
11. Usability testing on 10 cents a day
• It is never too early to test
• Test 3 to 4 users
• It doesn’t matter who you test
• Choose someone who is patient, calm,
empathetic, good listener to conduct
tests.
• Encourage all stakeholders to attend.
• Types –
• “Get it” testing
• Key task testing
• Review results right away
The antidote to religious debates: usability testing.
12. Usability as common courtesy
Goodwill diminished by: Goodwill increased by:
• Hiding information I want • Make 3 main things obvious
• Punishing me for not doing and easy
things your way • Tell me what I want to know
• Asking excessive • Save me steps where you can
information • Real FAQs, not marketing
pitches
• Faux sincerity • Make it easy to recover from
• Putting sizzle in my way errors.
• Site looks amateurish • When in doubt, apologize.
Reservoir of goodwill: Idiosyncratic, situational, can be
refilled, Single mistake can empty it
13. Accessibility, CSS and You
• Fix usability problems that confuse everyone
• Read an article
• Read a book
• Start using CSS
• Go for the low hanging fruit
14. Useful websites
• Steve Krug’s website: www.sensible.com
• Jacob Nielsen’s website: www.useit.com
• Copywriting tips: www.CopyBlogger.com
• John Rhodes’ website: www.webword.com (IA, UX, UCD)
• Articles on UX, IA, HCI, Web design etc. ww.UsabilityViews.com