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Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition

Steve Krug

New Riders Press

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Average customer rating:

that was differnt

Got this book for a class, But read it cover to cover. It is an easy and fun read. Well written, and puts a different perspective on web design.

A must have for anyone working with web page design.

Great info but a little dated

I loved this book when I first read it several years ago and I still follow Mr. Krug's guidelines today. But I do find that much of the book is now dated. The web changes so quickly and so do user experience best practices. However, his overall message is as valid as ever. Don't make them think!

Web Usability at its simplest

This really is a beautiful book. It does a wonderful job of following its own principles. Not only is it clear and simple, but also very effective. Many of the examples are really out of date, but the ideas that they illustrate continue to be evident throughout websites.

If you desire to learn more about simple web usability, this book is a must-read.

Direct and Simple Guidance for Designing Functional Websites

Widely regarded as the best book on web usability, this short, concise, and fun to read book covers all of the basics of web designing for optimal user experience. It won't address specific issues that you may be dealing with on your site, but it will guide you on how to address them, and what process one should undertake throughout to produce results as easily, quickly, and cheaply as possible. The book is full of simple and very valuable facts that come from studies and Krug's experience as a consultant for both major companies and small home businesses. Following Krug's advice might not get you the perfect site for your purposes, but it won't be far off. There is a great list of suggested reading in the back as well for more specific guidance. For anyone who designs web sites, this is a must read.

Stick to the basics

My first impression was that this book was way too basic...but then, on second thoughts, the problem with most UI designs is that the basics are ignored while we are in search of the holy grail. Steve Krug identifies the fundamental tenets of UI design (simplicity, self-explanatory, design for scanning, importance of navigational elements etc.) and reminds us to internalize them. All the points mentioned in the book should be self-evident and obvious; if we take enough time to step back and think about these things one will naturally come to these conclusions. The value I see in this book is not in any new ideas or techniques it introduces, but in identifying the basics and reminding us not to stray from them. In summary, the book reminds me the quote of an accomplished designer, "it is only by remaining as close as possible to the pure function of the object that beauty can be achieved"