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From WebReference

BOOK REVIEW: Don't Make Me Think!

A practical Web design usability guide, "Don't Make Me Think!" is
based on empirical observation not exhaustive statistics.  Steve
Krug's five years of usability consulting and testing are
distilled down to this thin yet gem-filled how-to.  Krug observed
how people actually use the Web rather than how we *think* they
use it, gleaning key usability guidelines. Most folks can't afford
a full-blown usability consult, but they can afford to buy a $35
book. This book shows you how to conduct your own usability tests
on the cheap. What follows is a summary of the book's major rules
and observations:

1. Don't Make Me Think!

   The number one usability rule, most often expresed by users.
Web pages should be self-evident, obvious, and self-explanatory.
Buttons should have short text and look clickable.  The default
search for your site should be simple.

2. Design for scanning not reading

   By observing users Krug found that people glance, scan some
text, and click on the first reasonable option (called
"satisficing"). People scan Web pages, they don't read them. We
don't make optimal choices, we satisfice.

Here are some things you can do to make sure users understand
as much of your site as possible:

   a. Create a clear visual hierarchy to show relative importance
      of content (H1/H2 etc.)
   b. Take advantage of conventions
   c. Break pages up into clearly defined areas
   d. Make it obvious what's clickable
   e. Minimize noise

3. Users like mindless choices

   Make each click an unambiguous orthogonal alternative.

4. Omit needless words

   Get rid of half of the words on each page, then get rid of half
of what's left. This is especially important on home pages and
gateway pages.

5. Navigation: Use street signs and breadcrumbs

   Factoid: The back button accounts for 30 to 40 percent of all Web
clicks. Persistent navigation appears on every page of the site and
should include the following five elements:

   a. Site ID
   b. A way home
   c. Search
   d. Sections
   e. Utilities

Your navigation should answer these questions:

   a. What site is this?
   b. What page am I on?
   c. What are the major sections of this site?
   d. What are my options at this level?
   e. Where am my in the scheme of things?
   f. How can I search?

6. Your home page should convey the big picture

   What is the site about? Use a good short tag line and welcome
blurb. Rotate site promotions. Remove everything nonessential.

7. Most Web design usability arguments are waste of time

   These "religious debates" consist of people expressing strongly
held personal beliefs about things that can't be proven. All Web
users are unique. There are no average users.  There are no simple
"right" answers for most Web design questions.  What works is good
integrated design that fills a need, that's carefully thought out,
well executed, and tested.

The antidote for religious debate is to ask specific questions and
test with real users.  The last three chapters of the book show how
to perform testing on the cheap with three or four users. I really
enjoyed this book, recommended.

Don't Make Me Think!
by Steve Krug
Que, $35.00
ISBN: 0-7897-2310-7
http://www.circle.com/krugbook/