Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
by: Steve Krug
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Amazon.com Review:
Usability design is one of the most important--yet often least attractive--tasks for a Web developer. In Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens up the subject with good humor and excellent, to-the-point examples.
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:
Product Description:
Five years and more than 100,000 copies after it was first published,it's hard to imagine anyone working in Web design who hasn't read SteveKrug's "instant classic" on Web usability, but people are stilldiscovering it every day.In this second edition, Steve addsthree new chapters in the same style as the original: wry andentertaining, yet loaded with insights and practical advice for noviceand veteran alike.Don't be surprised if it completely changesthe way you think about Web design.
Three New Chapters!
"I thought usability was the enemy of design until I read the first edition of this book.Don't Make Me Think! showedme how to put myself in the position of the person who uses mysite.After reading it over a couple of hours and putting itsideas to work for the past five years, I can say it has done more toimprove my abilities as a Web designer than any other book.
Inthis second edition, Steve Krug adds essential ammunition for thosewhose bosses, clients, stakeholders, and marketing managers insist ondoing the wrong thing.If you design, write, program, own, ormanage Web sites, you must read this book."-- Jeffrey Zeldman,author of Designing with Web Standards
Usability design is one of the most important--yet often least attractive--tasks for a Web developer. In Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens up the subject with good humor and excellent, to-the-point examples.
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
Product Description:
Five years and more than 100,000 copies after it was first published,it's hard to imagine anyone working in Web design who hasn't read SteveKrug's "instant classic" on Web usability, but people are stilldiscovering it every day.In this second edition, Steve addsthree new chapters in the same style as the original: wry andentertaining, yet loaded with insights and practical advice for noviceand veteran alike.Don't be surprised if it completely changesthe way you think about Web design.
Three New Chapters!
- Usability as common courtesy -- Why people really leave Web sites
- Web Accessibility, CSS, and you -- Making sites usable and accessible
- Help! My boss wants me to ______. -- Surviving executive design whims
"I thought usability was the enemy of design until I read the first edition of this book.Don't Make Me Think! showedme how to put myself in the position of the person who uses mysite.After reading it over a couple of hours and putting itsideas to work for the past five years, I can say it has done more toimprove my abilities as a Web designer than any other book.
Inthis second edition, Steve Krug adds essential ammunition for thosewhose bosses, clients, stakeholders, and marketing managers insist ondoing the wrong thing.If you design, write, program, own, ormanage Web sites, you must read this book."-- Jeffrey Zeldman,author of Designing with Web Standards
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Fantastic UX Read!
This book is a fantastic read regarding user interface/user experience best-practices.The sub-title really says it all, 'A common sense approach to web usability'.The book is exactly that!I recommend this to anyone who works in the web or technical arena as the reminders that this book brings up are genius in their simplicity and ease of execution.Nothing rocket-science here, just a disciplined, realistic, straight-forward look at making sure your designs are clear and easy to understand. ... Read More
Rating: - Very useful and practical book
Steve Krug provides a simple yet very insightful look at web usability.
The approach is very practical, straight forward.
He does web usability consulting for a living and in this book he shares his experience with simple guidelines that any web site design could use.
Nevertheless, he doesn't impose anything. There are no absolute rules. He just tells you what things work best and WHY. It has real life examples and an easy reading approach.
If you are interested in web usability, ... Read More
Rating: - timeless.
this book truly is timeless what he teaches can be applied from web to teaching elementary. it's really priceless stuff. Definitely a must read if your into usability.Some stuff is dated UI wise, but the principals he teaches don't bind themselves to just one type or time of web design.
Rating: - Waiting for the next installment
This is a great primer text for usability testing.It's easy to read in just a few hours and makes you laugh at the craziness of web page evolution to date.You won't be able to look at a web page in the same way after reading this book. Krug gives you the reasoning behind putting things in certain places on a web page.It's not random. You will want to buy a good book on Cascading Style Sheets after reading this book.
Rating: 
- Great Book On Usability
Pros:
I like this book because it is short and to the point. It offers practical advice with "what to do" as well as "what not to do" explanations.
Cons:
The book is a little dated as far as the websites they choose to profile, but the ideas behind everything are still valid. There are some things that are common sense and can be skipped over.
- Fantastic UX Read!This book is a fantastic read regarding user interface/user experience best-practices.The sub-title really says it all, 'A common sense approach to web usability'.The book is exactly that!I recommend this to anyone who works in the web or technical arena as the reminders that this book brings up are genius in their simplicity and ease of execution.Nothing rocket-science here, just a disciplined, realistic, straight-forward look at making sure your designs are clear and easy to understand. ... Read More
- Very useful and practical bookSteve Krug provides a simple yet very insightful look at web usability.
The approach is very practical, straight forward.
He does web usability consulting for a living and in this book he shares his experience with simple guidelines that any web site design could use.
Nevertheless, he doesn't impose anything. There are no absolute rules. He just tells you what things work best and WHY. It has real life examples and an easy reading approach.
If you are interested in web usability, ... Read More
- timeless.this book truly is timeless what he teaches can be applied from web to teaching elementary. it's really priceless stuff. Definitely a must read if your into usability.Some stuff is dated UI wise, but the principals he teaches don't bind themselves to just one type or time of web design.
- Waiting for the next installmentThis is a great primer text for usability testing.It's easy to read in just a few hours and makes you laugh at the craziness of web page evolution to date.You won't be able to look at a web page in the same way after reading this book. Krug gives you the reasoning behind putting things in certain places on a web page.It's not random. You will want to buy a good book on Cascading Style Sheets after reading this book.
- Great Book On UsabilityPros:
I like this book because it is short and to the point. It offers practical advice with "what to do" as well as "what not to do" explanations.
Cons:
The book is a little dated as far as the websites they choose to profile, but the ideas behind everything are still valid. There are some things that are common sense and can be skipped over.
