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Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
by
Steve Krug
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 Steve Krug's "instant classic" on Web usability, but people are still discovering it every day. In this second edition, Steve adds three new chapters in the same style as the original: wry and entertaining, yet loaded with insigh...more
Paperback, 2nd Edition, 201 pages
Published
August 28th 2005
by New Riders Publishing
(first published December 31st 1999)
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Well, this is an absolute gem of a book. I picked this up the day after finishing Beautiful Code and to be honest, really wasn't in the mood for any more particularly heavy content for a few days.
But Steve Krug makes the topic of web usability genuinely entertaing. He holds a light writing style with a touch of wit that helps to keep your attention from cover to cover. Add to that the short size of the book at only a couple of hundred pages, and the vibrant but clear layout and yo...more
But Steve Krug makes the topic of web usability genuinely entertaing. He holds a light writing style with a touch of wit that helps to keep your attention from cover to cover. Add to that the short size of the book at only a couple of hundred pages, and the vibrant but clear layout and yo...more
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كتاب مميز و بسيط جداً
فكرته قائمة على العنوان " لا تجعلني أفكر "
فهو يعطي فكرة لكل مبرمج أو مطور للمواقع أن يقدم موقع للزائر بحيث يكون الموقع بسيط و سلس و واضح دون حاجة ذلك الزائر لإن يدخل - بالحيط - حتى يتمكن من فهم قصدك كمبرمج للموقع .
و حتى إن لم تكن مبرمجاً يمكنك بكل بساطة التعامل مع الكتاب
فكرته قائمة على العنوان " لا تجعلني أفكر "
فهو يعطي فكرة لكل مبرمج أو مطور للمواقع أن يقدم موقع للزائر بحيث يكون الموقع بسيط و سلس و واضح دون حاجة ذلك الزائر لإن يدخل - بالحيط - حتى يتمكن من فهم قصدك كمبرمج للموقع .
و حتى إن لم تكن مبرمجاً يمكنك بكل بساطة التعامل مع الكتاب
Books about design need to pass one critical test. They must be well-designed, and this book is. Among the bits of knowledge Krug sprinkles, good web design is like the layout in a big box store, you should be able to look up and find signs that point you in the right direction. There is one crucial different between a brick and mortar store and its online counterpart: if you can’t navigate your way to what you want in a store, you can always ask someone. On the web that’s not possible, so w...more
This book lays out some clear and obviously effective principles of usability that I would definitely look over before tackling interface design. Krug reminds us that ‘ease of use’ is easily the make or break deal for any website. “It’s a fact: People won’t use your web site if they can’t find their way around it.” Here we get proof again, that user experience is the key to any successful type of website.
While some of the stuff may be obvious, or maybe just be obvious to me, I found ...more
While some of the stuff may be obvious, or maybe just be obvious to me, I found ...more
Don't Make Me Think A Common Sense Approach To Web Usability, Second Edition, Steve Krug-- Review
Don't Make Me Think is a book about web usability. Usability is basically how easy it is too efficiently use a website. It tests how to make a website easier for the average visitor.
This book gives you insights into how to make a website easy to use. The first principle is to make your website as obvious as possible. For example, if the visitor is looking for employment inform...more
Don't Make Me Think is a book about web usability. Usability is basically how easy it is too efficiently use a website. It tests how to make a website easier for the average visitor.
This book gives you insights into how to make a website easy to use. The first principle is to make your website as obvious as possible. For example, if the visitor is looking for employment inform...more
An excellent introduction to creating usable websites. As the title states, every website’s design and functionality should be so simple that people barely need to think to use it. The book’s 2nd edition is from 2005, so some examples are dated, but the concepts are quite relevant. This was a fun read due to its straightforward style and Krug’s humor.
When I started looking for web design books, Steve Krug’s classic on web usability frequently appeared at the top of most lists, along w...more
When I started looking for web design books, Steve Krug’s classic on web usability frequently appeared at the top of most lists, along w...more
Lots of great material. Nothing revolutionary, and I agree with the author that this is a good thing. Revolution has its places, but this book is more about learning common sense. That sometimes takes reading from other people's experiences, and Krug obviously has some experience. He's even smart enough to admit that different people have different opinions. And the main technique for improvement is cheap user testing. I can't echo enough what he has to say about cheap.
This book is d...more
This book is d...more
Thomas
rated it
Recommends it for:
internet professionals, web users, psychology interest
Shelves:
ux-dev
Usability hardly concerns strictly web use. This tidy introduction and exploration on the subject is a great background to many of the buzz words heard in the creative and development team departments. Also, makes many design decisions easy by providing research based and diplomatic responses to many territorial squabbles that arise when sites are designed/redesigned. It provides logical guided procedures for any stakeholder to understand the overall objectives of the website and make busines...more
While Don’t Make Me Think is clearly written with web designers and developers in mind, it’s a useful read for anyone who uses the web regularly or provides content for their organization/company site. Krug is highly entertaining and has condensed his material to a high-impact, low-time investment resource.
He begins by describing, based on years of his own usability studies, how people really search and use the Internet. Moving forward, he explains how to capitalize on this knowledge...more
He begins by describing, based on years of his own usability studies, how people really search and use the Internet. Moving forward, he explains how to capitalize on this knowledge...more
Great for Programmers with Little Web Usability Experience: I've been developing web pages for around 7 years. The only thing I can say is I can't believe I never researched usability until now. This book definitely opened my eyes to a whole new aspect of the world of web design.
If you are new to web usability, or if you're a "one stop shop" or a "one-man show", I highly recommend this book. If you're new to web development, I HIGHLY recommend this book - I wish I had learn...more
If you are new to web usability, or if you're a "one stop shop" or a "one-man show", I highly recommend this book. If you're new to web development, I HIGHLY recommend this book - I wish I had learn...more
This was a great book for a starting point to website UI design. I have been designing websites and web bases applications for years and haven't ever stopped to think about usability, the 1st impression, and how to accomplish these effectively. Before reading this book I though I knew all there was to design, however this book has provided me with some additional needed insight.
This was a quick read, I expected this book to be very lengthy and provide design principles and examples. Bu...more
This was a quick read, I expected this book to be very lengthy and provide design principles and examples. Bu...more
This was the first book that we read in the UX book club at the company I work at, Next Century. It was suggested by a friend and it seemed like a good first stab at UX for the type of people at my company. This is because it has a lot of pictures, the rules are simple, and the message is clear.
Overall, I would agree with that early assessment. It makes the point of doing usability clear and makes a very clear argument for why it is important.
... However, it had some pr...more
Overall, I would agree with that early assessment. It makes the point of doing usability clear and makes a very clear argument for why it is important.
... However, it had some pr...more
I liked this book. It's like the snack food version of usability. He explains each of his points clearly, concisely, and with strong examples. There's not a lot of meaty here's-how-you-can-accomplish-this involved, which Krug claims is because there's no one answer to software/web usability, which is definitely true. Still, I would love to read a follow up about usability testing and how to use the results of such tests in development. As a relatively inexperienced computer person in software QA...more
Sean Besser
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone with any say over the look & feel of a commercial web page
MUST READ for anyone with any say over the look & feel of a commercial web page (designers, managers, marketing people, executives, etc.). It's a quick and easy read and is like having my own web usability consultant.
Goodreads and LOTS of other sites should have their managment teams read this.
Goodreads and LOTS of other sites should have their managment teams read this.
عندما فتحت المساحة المخصصة للمراجعة كنت أنوي الكتابة بالإنجليزية، لكن دافع قومي ربما جعلني أكتب بالعربية
الكتاب جيد و دمه خفيف، وشرحه واضح جداً، لكن موجه بشكل كبير للمواقع التجارية
لكن مثلا المواقع الحكومية، المواقع التعليمية كلها تحتاج معايير لقابلية الاستخدام تختلف عن الموجودة في الكتاب، لكن المجال كما بدا لي مفتوح وفي البدايات و يحتاج للكثير
أيضا مصممي الأنظمة و قواعد البيانات، و واجهاتها بحاجة لقابلية الاستخدام وتحديد بعض المعايير لقابلية الاستخدام أيضا
الكتاب جيد و دمه خفيف، وشرحه واضح جداً، لكن موجه بشكل كبير للمواقع التجارية
لكن مثلا المواقع الحكومية، المواقع التعليمية كلها تحتاج معايير لقابلية الاستخدام تختلف عن الموجودة في الكتاب، لكن المجال كما بدا لي مفتوح وفي البدايات و يحتاج للكثير
أيضا مصممي الأنظمة و قواعد البيانات، و واجهاتها بحاجة لقابلية الاستخدام وتحديد بعض المعايير لقابلية الاستخدام أيضا
A no nonsense approach on how to design web sites to be as effective as possible. The second edition adds information on treating users well and designing for accessibility while trimming the focus on how to conduct usability testing. It has been a number of years since I first skimmed this book and I found the changes welcome. My biggest complaint with the book continues to be a lack of a summary or checklist on the high level points with references to where the topic is covered in more detail....more
This is my absolute favorite book on designing websites with the user in mind. Far too often websites are designed from the perspective of a salesperson, a marketer, an engineer or a designer. Far too seldom are they created from the perspective of a person who will actually use the site. Steve Krug teaches from the user's perspective, and does so without many wasted words.
The chapters in the "Things You Need to Get Right" section are my favorite, in particular Chapter 6: S...more
The chapters in the "Things You Need to Get Right" section are my favorite, in particular Chapter 6: S...more
Probably the best tagline among all books about interaction design I have read. Since I have read this book I also made this title my first law in defining good design. When using tools or interfaces, I should have no hesitation; this is what “Don’t make me think” stands for. It of course entails another set of laws like making it obvious what the object’s aim is, how appealing it is or how much I trust it.
The author also sets himself high objectives as you would expect a book like this to...more
The author also sets himself high objectives as you would expect a book like this to...more
Steven
rated it
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Steven by:
Scott Bellware
Shelves:
technology
Ironic that this book makes the reader think - think about design and views on life, all at once. An excellent book for stimulating the brain to think and view the world in new ways.
I had a pact with some fellow web nerds at work to read a book on usability to improve our websites. I chose this one because, like a good website, it had short pages and a lot of white space. I was pleasantly surprised to actually enjoy the content as well as the writing style. It is concise, informative, practical, and humorous. Whereas Jakob Nielsen’s classic usability books are chock-full of statistics and details, this book is a new approach to usability, stripped down to what is practical ...more
This is a book that if I'd seen it in a bookstore and flipped through it would have stayed where I found it.
Too short, too glossy, type too big, too much whitespace, random snippets seem like obvious commonsense. It couldn't possibly be of value.
But this is one of those cases where my usual flip test of a technical book would have given the wrong outcome and I am fortunate to have got it sight unseen after hearing it recommended in one of the stackoverflow podcasts.
...more
Too short, too glossy, type too big, too much whitespace, random snippets seem like obvious commonsense. It couldn't possibly be of value.
But this is one of those cases where my usual flip test of a technical book would have given the wrong outcome and I am fortunate to have got it sight unseen after hearing it recommended in one of the stackoverflow podcasts.
...more
The book was a short, quick and easy read that can easily be finished on a plane ride. It's in full color with a couple of helpful diagrams, but I mostly found the comics in it annoying and patronizing. A lot of what Krug brings up in the first half seems like common sense, but he does delve deeper into some points, which may be helpful for some.
The most valuable information I found in Don't Make Me Think was the little quizzes in the middle of the book where readers are presented w...more
The most valuable information I found in Don't Make Me Think was the little quizzes in the middle of the book where readers are presented w...more
Really excellent web design book. It moves quickly, is filled with screenshots and illustrations, and the non-technical language ensures that anyone even remotely related to a web design project (including business managers with no coding experience) can understand the concepts and take something away. My favorite part was when Krug critiques a home page, makes his edits, then critiques his result; it was very revealing to see the ideas in action. My only gripe with this book is the footnotes: t...more
Krug's title telegraphs his number one rule for usable Web design: designers should do everything they can to make site visits an exercise of existing reflexes, expectations, and established conventions. If this sounds hard, it may be. But much of Krug's advice he casts as common sense and, perhaps more tellingly, common courtesy. At its heart this is a practical and kind book. It is short, pithy, and to the point. It doesn't take itself as the last word. And it's audience is more than Web...more
Jenny
is currently reading it
Not learnt much so far - just a few small things but then I have already studied Software Design and usability testing for an M.Sc. and created software which was a finalist in European Academic Software Awards ! so maybe I am not the ideal audience ! I was expecting a bit more from the book as had spent £17 but can always re-sell it. however its early days - I may report back with a change of heart.
If anyone wants to pay me half of what they pay Steve Krug to assess their software or web...more
If anyone wants to pay me half of what they pay Steve Krug to assess their software or web...more
A quick, easy, humorous must-read for anyone involved in web design or content development. "All web users are unique and all web use is basically idiosyncratic." Usability testing (early and often) will ensure that visitors to your web site will feel comfortable w/little or no thought required. Frustration and loss of trust will breed ill will and send your users scurrying. We in academia have a duty to make our web sites usable to our students, faculty, high school seniors, and ad...more
Steve has explained the basic usability mantras in a very easy and user friendly way. Fits the description of usability book as the book is really usable and conveys the message in an interesting and easy to learn manners. This is a kind of book which you can keep on reading with out even realizing how much you have read. By the time you realize you are already in the last chapters. Easy language and appropriate examples which keeps you engrossed. Few and small exercises which really hit the ham...more
What comes to your mind when you think about usability in web design? “Less clicks is better”? “Design to the average user”? “Content is king”? “Users leave your website if it doesn’t load in X seconds”? If you take any of these as a rule for your websites then you need to read this book: Don’t Make Me Think, by Steve Krug.
The Book
Although usability is becoming more and more popular among web projects these days, it is still an underrated feature. In this book, Steve Krug exp...more
The Book
Although usability is becoming more and more popular among web projects these days, it is still an underrated feature. In this book, Steve Krug exp...more
I really don't remember when was the last time I read a book in a day. The author himself suggest that this is a book for one longer flight. It's true. I would absolutely agree.
I had borrowed a copy of a book from a college at my work few years ago. I have to say second edition was worth buying. Everybody involved in creating web pages and other user interfaces should gain a lot by only reading this book.
What have I learned? Web pages should be at least self-explanatory ...more
I had borrowed a copy of a book from a college at my work few years ago. I have to say second edition was worth buying. Everybody involved in creating web pages and other user interfaces should gain a lot by only reading this book.
What have I learned? Web pages should be at least self-explanatory ...more
This book is what it states - a common sense approach to web usability.
The book lays bare the facts, that -
1. Users do not read the text in a web page.
2. Users muddle through a web page, no matter how well thought out the layout, and menus are.
And as a designer, your task is to take these two facts into account when designing your website.
The author, Steve Krug, is very perceptive. While this is evident throughout the book, what did it for me was the fo...more
The book lays bare the facts, that -
1. Users do not read the text in a web page.
2. Users muddle through a web page, no matter how well thought out the layout, and menus are.
And as a designer, your task is to take these two facts into account when designing your website.
The author, Steve Krug, is very perceptive. While this is evident throughout the book, what did it for me was the fo...more
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“If there's one thing you learn by working on a lot of different Web sites, it's that almost any design idea--no matter how appallingly bad--can be made usable in the right circumstances, with enough effort.”
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3 people liked it
“Don't make me think”
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