Book Summary

Rule # 1 Don’t make me think!
Get Rid of questions marks in thought balloons

How we really use the web
Scanning, Satisficing and Muddling Through

Billboard design 101
Source: www.useit.com
Design for scanning, not reading.

Billboard design 101
Design for scanning, not reading.
– Create a clear visual hierarchy
– Conventions are your friends
– Break pages into clearly defined areas
– Make obvious what is clickable
– Keep the noise down to a dull roar

Why users like mindless choices
Law # 2: It doesn’t matter how many times I click, as long
as each click is a mindless, unambiguous choice.

Omit needless words
• Happy talk must die!
• Instructions must die!
Law # 3: Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
rid of half of what is left.

Street signs and Breadcrumbs
The Trunk Test
• What site is this?
• What page am I on?
• What are the major sections of this site?
• What are my options at this level?
• Where am I in the scheme of things?
• How can I search?
People won’t use your website if they can’t find their way
around it.

The Home Page is beyond your control
5 Questions a Home Page should answer:
1. What is this?
2. What do they have here?
3. What can I do here?
4. Why should I be here and not somewhere else?
5. Where do I start?

Arguments about usability are a waste of time
“Everybody likes ______”
The myth of the Average User
The antidote to religious debates: usability testing.

Usability testing on 10 cents a day
• It is never too early to test
• Test 3 to 4 users
• It doesn’t matter who you test
• Choose someone who is patient, calm,
empathetic, good listener to conduct
tests.
• Encourage all stakeholders to attend.
• Types –
• “Get it” testing
• Key task testing
• Review results right away
The antidote to religious debates: usability testing.

Usability as common courtesy
Goodwill diminished by: Goodwill increased by:
• Hiding information I want • Make 3 main things obvious
• Punishing me for not doing and easy
things your way • Tell me what I want to know
• Asking excessive • Save me steps where you can
information • Real FAQs, not marketing
pitches
• Faux sincerity • Make it easy to recover from
• Putting sizzle in my way errors.
• Site looks amateurish • When in doubt, apologize.
Reservoir of goodwill: Idiosyncratic, situational, can be
refilled, Single mistake can empty it

Accessibility, CSS and You
• Fix usability problems that confuse everyone
• Read an article
• Read a book
• Start using CSS
• Go for the low hanging fruit

Useful websites
• Steve Krug’s website: www.sensible.com
• Jacob Nielsen’s website: www.useit.com
• Copywriting tips: www.CopyBlogger.com
• John Rhodes’ website: www.webword.com (IA, UX, UCD)
• Articles on UX, IA, HCI, Web design etc. ww.UsabilityViews.com