Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
by Steve Krug · 2014
In a nutshell
Steve Krug's classic on web usability. Short, funny, and packed with practical advice for making products intuitive. Essential for product founders.
Overview
Steve Krug's witty, practical guide to web usability. The title says it all: if users have to think too hard, your design failed.
Krug's Laws of Usability
1. Don't Make Me Think
Things should be self-evident. If not, self-explanatory. Clarity trumps cleverness.
2. It Doesn't Matter How Many Times I Have to Click
What matters is how hard each click is. Easy clicks > fewer hard clicks.
3. Get Rid of Half the Words
Then get rid of half of what's left. Ruthless editing makes pages scannable.
Key Principles
- Design for scanning, not reading
- Create obvious visual hierarchies
- Make it obvious what's clickable
- Eliminate question marks
- Format text to support scanning
Usability Testing
- Test early and often
- 3-5 users find most problems
- Anyone can test (doesn't need to be perfect)
- Observe, don't ask
- Fix the most serious problems first
The Do-It-Yourself Test
- Recruit participants
- Test in any quiet space
- One hour per test
- Focus on top tasks
- Just watch and listen
For Product Teams
- Test with real users monthly
- Make fewer tough decisions for users
- Obvious > clever
- Web conventions exist for a reason
- Mobile introduces new challenges
Published by New Riders 2014 (3rd edition). 216 pages. Classic since 2000.
Reference
Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability — publisher / official page. Summary adapted from the Awesome Startup Books collection.
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