What I Have Learned So Far in the 21st Century Steve Krug Voices That Matter: Web Design Conference San Francisco April 29, 2009

© 2001 Steve Krug http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/popculture/9f70/?cpg=ab

It’s been nine years … since I first wrote DMMT As this timeline shows: © 2001 Steve Krug

… since I first wrote DMMT

As this timeline shows:

© 2001 Steve Krug

People often ask me… OK. People sometimes ask me… OK. In nine years, two people have asked me… “ Things have changed since you wrote your book. What have you learned in the meantime?” Thought I’d try to figure it out OK. Things I’ve learned in the 21 st century: © 2001 Steve Krug

OK. People sometimes ask me…

OK. In nine years, two people have asked me…

“ Things have changed since you wrote your book. What have you learned in the meantime?”

Thought I’d try to figure it out

OK. Things I’ve learned in the 21 st century:

#1 Filling out college financial aid forms is as much work (and as much fun) as doing your taxes © 2001 Steve Krug

Filling out college financial aid forms is as much work (and as much fun) as doing your taxes

© 2001 Steve Krug

#2 Even a small amount of Zoloft ® can make life seem much more manageable © 2001 Steve Krug

Even a small amount of Zoloft ® can make life seem much more manageable

#3 “ Economy class syndrome” is not an urban myth Always get up and walk around on long flights © 2001 Steve Krug

“ Economy class syndrome” is not an urban myth

Always get up and walk around on long flights

© 2001 Steve Krug Our family vacation in Paris, April 2006

© 2001 Steve Krug

© 2001 Steve Krug

© 2001 Steve Krug

© 2001 Steve Krug Detail view of my left lung

Public service announcement Two tips Get up and walk once an hour on long flights Almost impossible to do nowadays If you stand up, flight attendants glare at you What works: walk standing in place in the airplane bathroom If you feel sick on a Friday, don’t wait until Monday to call your HMO © 2001 Steve Krug

Two tips

Get up and walk once an hour on long flights

Almost impossible to do nowadays

If you stand up, flight attendants glare at you

What works: walk standing in place in the airplane bathroom

If you feel sick on a Friday, don’t wait until Monday to call your HMO

© 2001 Steve Krug TMI! WTMI!! TMI! No mas!

#4 Wikipedia actually works My candidate for “Most valuable social app” I was a late adopter Google made me do it I didn’t use it until Google began returning Wikipedia pages as first result for my queries Would not have believed a wiki approach could work 14%-17% of all people are either plain evil or at least “bad actors” Evil often trumps good © 2001 Steve Krug

Wikipedia actually works

My candidate for “Most valuable social app”

I was a late adopter

Google made me do it

I didn’t use it until Google began returning Wikipedia pages as first result for my queries

Would not have believed a wiki approach could work

14%-17% of all people are either plain evil or at least “bad actors”

Evil often trumps good

The Kubla Khan can butt in line; The biggest brute can take what's mine; When heavyweights break wind, that's fine; No matter what a judge might say, The drunken driver has the right of way. Excerpted from: The Drunken Driver Has the Right Of Way by Ethan Coen (of the Coen Brothers) © 2001 Steve Krug

The Kubla Khan can butt in line; The biggest brute can take what's mine; When heavyweights break wind, that's fine; No matter what a judge might say, The drunken driver has the right of way. Excerpted from: The Drunken Driver Has the Right Of Way by Ethan Coen (of the Coen Brothers)

© 2001 Steve Krug

#5 Mindmapping is my most valuable tool Much better than just outlining, for reasons that remain a mystery Probably the combination of visual and verbal Plus super-easy re-arranging/juggling of thoughts © 2001 Steve Krug

Mindmapping is my most valuable tool

Much better than just outlining, for reasons that remain a mystery

Probably the combination of visual and verbal

Plus super-easy re-arranging/juggling of thoughts

© 2001 Steve Krug

© 2001 Steve Krug

Oh, wait… You probably wanted to know what I’ve learned about usability Warning: I’ve only learned a few things I’m a slow learner Remember: I only had three “laws” in DMMT I couldn’t find much to add to the Second Edition Jakob Nielsen’s great explanation: Usability is much more about human nature than technology. Technology changes quickly; human nature very slowly. None of them start with “Don’t make me…” © 2001 Steve Krug

You probably wanted to know what I’ve learned about usability

Warning: I’ve only learned a few things

I’m a slow learner

Remember: I only had three “laws” in DMMT

I couldn’t find much to add to the Second Edition

Jakob Nielsen’s great explanation: Usability is much more about human nature than technology. Technology changes quickly; human nature very slowly.

None of them start with “Don’t make me…”

#1 Even in the age of The Internets, it’s possible to do something public (like write a book) and not get flamed on a regular basis I was braced for incoming fire; almost none appeared My son is still outraged by one review: © 2001 Steve Krug

Even in the age of The Internets, it’s possible to do something public (like write a book) and not get flamed on a regular basis

I was braced for incoming fire; almost none appeared

My son is still outraged by one review:

© 2001 Steve Krug

#2 User testing really does always work I thought this was true before, but now I really know it is I’ve done a lot of live demo tests Take a URL from someone in the audience Grab a volunteer as test participant Make up a task Do a 15 minute test Out of 20 in three years, I’ve had only one where the site “owner” wasn’t blown away All you have to do is do it; it just works © 2001 Steve Krug

User testing really does always work

I thought this was true before, but now I really know it is

I’ve done a lot of live demo tests

Take a URL from someone in the audience

Grab a volunteer as test participant

Make up a task

Do a 15 minute test

Out of 20 in three years, I’ve had only one where the site “owner” wasn’t blown away

All you have to do is do it; it just works

#3 If people need to notice something, you have to be “louder” than you’d like On the Web, users miss most design subtleties most of the time Designers love subtle visual effects Things like hairline rules and tiny, low-contrast type are hallmarks of sophisticated design They work in print Best in show; not so good in the field Amazon has taken this to heart Spot the two things on the following page that Amazon needs to be sure you notice: © 2001 Steve Krug

If people need to notice something, you have to be “louder” than you’d like

On the Web, users miss most design subtleties most of the time

Designers love subtle visual effects

Things like hairline rules and tiny, low-contrast type are hallmarks of sophisticated design

They work in print

Best in show; not so good in the field

Amazon has taken this to heart

Spot the two things on the following page that Amazon needs to be sure you notice:

© 2001 Steve Krug Original site

© 2001 Steve Krug My redesign to ensure that people see the navigation bar

#4 Written reports for usability tests are largely a waste of time Unless you’re doing quantitative testing I don't do them anymore Do a live presentation of results instead I use/love GoToMeeting Stakeholder questions/qualms/quibbles can be asked and answered in real time No endless follow-up email threads No 1-2 week lag time between test and report I recommend debriefing the same day as testing © 2001 Steve Krug

Written reports for usability tests are largely a waste of time

Unless you’re doing quantitative testing

I don't do them anymore

Do a live presentation of results instead

I use/love GoToMeeting

Stakeholder questions/qualms/quibbles can be asked and answered in real time

No endless follow-up email threads

No 1-2 week lag time between test and report

I recommend debriefing the same day as testing

#5 Focus (relentlessly, ruthlessly) on the most important problems Nobody has time or resources to fix all/most/more than a few usability problems It’s very easy to find more problems than you can fix It’s tempting to make the easier fixes The harder-to-fix, more serious problems often linger © 2001 Steve Krug

Focus (relentlessly, ruthlessly) on the most important problems

Nobody has time or resources to fix all/most/more than a few usability problems

It’s very easy to find more problems than you can fix

It’s tempting to make the easier fixes

The harder-to-fix, more serious problems often linger

#5 I recommend only tackling 3-5 most important problems observed in each round of testing Can work on more only after those are fixed The profoundly-low-hanging-fruit exception: You can take on additional “quick fixes” only if they … can be fixed by one person … in less than 15 minutes … without getting anyone else’s approval E.g., fix a typo, or change the name of a button © 2001 Steve Krug

I recommend only tackling 3-5 most important problems observed in each round of testing

Can work on more only after those are fixed

The profoundly-low-hanging-fruit exception: You can take on additional “quick fixes” only if they

… can be fixed by one person

… in less than 15 minutes

… without getting anyone else’s approval

E.g., fix a typo, or change the name of a button

#6 When fixing usability problems (as in life), do the least you can do Temptation is to overhaul things; do a redesign Instead, make the smallest change you think might fix the observed problem Tweak, don’t redesign Don’t break anything while you do it Test the changes (“Tweak, but verify”) If first tweak doesn’t fix the problem, consider trying a stronger version of the tweak before redesigning/rethinking/reinventing © 2001 Steve Krug

When fixing usability problems (as in life), do the least you can do

Temptation is to overhaul things; do a redesign

Instead, make the smallest change you think might fix the observed problem

Tweak, don’t redesign

Don’t break anything while you do it

Test the changes (“Tweak, but verify”)

If first tweak doesn’t fix the problem, consider trying a stronger version of the tweak before redesigning/rethinking/reinventing

#7 Stats are finally worth something Used to be that expensive web analytics projects produced accuracy of ±50% Free Google Analytics is a game changer Free a/b testing (Google Web Optimizer) will hold my feet to the fire (thankfully) We experts can't just mouth off with impunity any more © 2001 Steve Krug

Stats are finally worth something

Used to be that expensive web analytics projects produced accuracy of ±50%

Free Google Analytics is a game changer

Free a/b testing (Google Web Optimizer) will hold my feet to the fire (thankfully)

We experts can't just mouth off with impunity any more

Thanks for all the fish Feedback, gripes go to [email_address] Shameless Self-promotion Department Join Lou Rosenfeld and I in London for our day-long workshops May 20-21 http://events.etre.com/events/2009/etre-get-together/ © 2001 Steve Krug

Feedback, gripes go to

[email_address]

Shameless Self-promotion Department

Join Lou Rosenfeld and I in London for our day-long workshops May 20-21

http://events.etre.com/events/2009/etre-get-together/

© 2009 Steve Krug