Don’t Make Me Think – Book 4 of 50!

I’m done with my next book! This time its a short 200 page book by Steve Krug “Dont make me think”, about web usability. This is an excellent book with solid case studies on how some blunders in web design can be transformed into usable web sites.

If you are in the web design trade, let me tell you. You NEED to read this book.

Why? How good is it? I borrowed it from a friend (thanks Shi!) to read it over the past 3 days, and AFTER reading it, I’ll still be getting a copy for myself.

Here’s the amazon link: Don’t Make Me Think

Here’s my summary.

1. Less investment of time, more likely to be used.
2. First principle, don’t let visitors think.
3. Make things obvious.
4. Competition is one click away.
5. People scan pages.
6. We satisfice. We don’t evaluate all options.
7. We muddle through. As long as it works!
8. Create a clear visual hierarchy: size, clustering, nesting.
9. Stick to conventions.
10. Break up pages to clearly defined areas.
11. Provide clear options.
12. Take out unnecessary words: happy talk, long instructions.
13. Some people will always search. Others browse.
14. Give people a sense of where they are.
15. Web navigation needs to: tell visitors where they are, how to use the site.
16. Persistent navigation elements: site ID, home, search, sections, utilities.
17. Persistent navigation except on home page and form page.
18. Utilities less prominent than sections. Maximum 3-5 links.
19. Every page needs to have a search box. Use "search" strictly.
20. Work on sample content for pages in all levels.
21. Every page needs a prominent page name, at right place, matching what user clicked.
22. Highlight current location.
23. Breadcrumbs are good: on top, using >, tiny, "you are here", current item bold
24. Tabs are good.
25. Active tab need to contrast.
26. Always have a tab selected.
27. Trunk test: site id, page name, major sections, local navigation, you are here indicators, search
28. Home page: site id and mission, hierarchy, search, teases, timely content, deals, shortcuts, registration.
29. Most important – convey the big picture: what is this, what do they do here, what can i do here, why should i be here, start here.
30. Homepage: clear and informative tagline, welcome blurb.
31. Start: search, browse, sample.
32. Show more of your site structure at the home page navigation.
33. Don’t use pull downs for navigation.
34. There is no "average user". Test for best results.
35. Testing – essential. Test early. Test many times.
36. Get anyone to test, unless it requires specific domain knowledge.
37. Keep invitation simple.
38. Usability test – have facilitator scripts.
39. Review results straight – obvious fixes that make sense.
40. Manage visitor’s reservoir of goodwill.
41. Make your site accessible for all kinda of visitors.

Two Thumbs Up, Steve!

That reminds me… I have two textbooks on usability in the shelf. But thos are not specific to the web. They are more about Human Computer Interation and user interface design. What they have there are the “professor level” stuff – all the theories. Might dig them out and skim through them later of this year.

Now I’m done with book 4 of 50. One week before time! Hurray!