Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
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
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 insights and practical advice for novice and veteran alike. Don't be surprised if it completely changes the 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! showed me how to put myself in the position of the person who uses my site. After reading it over a couple of hours and putting its ideas to work for the past five years, I can say it has done more to improve my abilities as a Web designer than any other book.
In this second edition, Steve Krug adds essential ammunition for those whose bosses, clients, stakeholders, and marketing managers insist on doing the wrong thing. If you design, write, program, own, or manage Web sites, you must read this book." -- Jeffrey Zeldman, author of Designing with Web Standards
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Additional Product Information
- ISBN: 9780321344755
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426 Reviews
| From: Amazon Posted: Jul 03, 2008 Type: User Review |
A Great Usability Primer for Web Developers
Yes, this is an entry-level book, targeted at the people who need it most: the frontline of Web developers and "designers". The content of the 2nd edition could be updated, but Krug's non-nonsense, easy-to-read approach still makes Don't Make Me...
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 4.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Jul 01, 2008 Type: User Review |
A must read
Everyone who designs web apps should have a copy of this book.
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4.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Jun 09, 2008 Type: User Review |
Should be on every web designers shelf
A staple book that has standardized so many design and usability concepts. It isn't that long, but it is so dead-on with usability that this as close to the the Bible you can get for web usability. Full color pages and tons of practical examples...
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 5.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Jun 04, 2008 Type: User Review |
Don't Make Me Think
It's a great book for introducing the mindset of web usability. It doesn't overload you with information, but shows you how to think when developing a web app.
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5.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: May 13, 2008 Type: User Review |
Improve Your Website
I'll bet that every person who builds a web site, personal or commercial, big or small, thinks that, even if it has a few faults, it's pretty good. I'm not certain that people who visit sites have as charitable a view. Steve Krug believes that...
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5.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: May 12, 2008 Type: User Review |
excellent
I am a web UI developer and I have bought a lot of books already including (theory and implementation books)but no book has been as useful as this book so far.
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5.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Apr 22, 2008 Type: User Review |
Easy To Read
I can't honestly say that I learned a lot from this book, but I considered it to be a very accessible book, and it explains the topic well, along with sharing some important ideas and some specific recommendations. I'm glad I read it, although it...
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4.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Apr 10, 2008 Type: User Review |
Interesting look at Websites
Many of Krug's findings are very true and helpful to analyzing the effectiveness and usefulness of a website! I appreciated the short length of the book, but at times still found myself skimming some parts. Overall a worthwhile read!
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4.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Apr 03, 2008 Type: User Review |
Good for beginners
I bought and read this book a few years ago, and when I picked it up for a second read-through last week, I realized that even though the book deals with "timeless" topics, it is starting to be a bit dated. Especially the examples and...
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 3.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Mar 29, 2008 Type: User Review |
common sense would say you same
i bought the book based on lot of those positive responses in amazon, also another books was referring to it. well, if you are totally new to web design and usability - maybe this is a good place to look at - but, most of things are little too...
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3.00/5 |
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