Steve Krug - Don't make me think!
Usability design is one of the most important though often least attractive
tasks for a Web developer. In Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens
up the subject with good humour 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 within it 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. For example, "We
don't read pages--we scan them" and, "We don't figure out how things
work--we muddle through". Getting to grips with such hard facts sets the
stage for Web design that then produces top-notch sites.
Using an attractive mix of full-colour 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 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 - Amazon.co.uk
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