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

Purchase Item

Manufacturer: New Riders Press
List Price: $40.00
Our Price: $23.21
Customer Reviews:
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition by New Riders Press

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 hasn't really altered the way I work very much.
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition by New Riders Press

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!
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition by New Riders Press

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 Especially the examples and illustrations put it out of date.

The text and thoughts behind the process are still valid, but needs better reference material to be relevant for today. If you can pick it up cheap, then it is still a good read/buy though.
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition by New Riders Press

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 common, you can work them out yourself. Annoying are also those comics & cartoon styles inside the book - reminds me a schoolbooks for a foreign language study. Too basic. really. and the amazon also changed a design, but a one section of a book is totally devoted on that :(. no more such tabs at amazon....as he writes in a book
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition by New Riders Press

Very good book for the do it yourselfer

Everyone in our IT department that has anything to do with our products SDLC had to read this book. At first I was a little reluctant since it was "required", however, the book is a very good read. It was easy to understand and a pretty quick read. The author used plain English and broke down anything that might be new to the "usability newbie". If you are looking for a book to get you started trying to do a little usability testing yourself, then this book is for you. However, if you have some usability experience - this book is probably a little too elementary for you.
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition by New Riders Press

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

Amazon.com

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