by Steven Krug
- pg 11: Kurg's first law of usability is don't make the user think -- what it is and how to use it should be self-evident.
- pg 15: Every question raised adds to our cognitive workload, distracting attention from the task at hand.
- pg 18: If you can't make a page self-evident, make it self-explanatory, meaning it requires a little thought to comprehend.
- pg 19: The most important reason to make things self-evident is that users don't spend much time on a page anyway.
- pg 23: We scan pages instead of reading them for things that match the task at hand, personal interests, or hardwired trigger words.
- pg 24: We don't choose the best option, we choose the first reasonable option, called satisficing.
- pg 26: We don't figure out how things work, we forge ahead and muddle through without reading instructions.
- pg 28: While muddling through may work sometimes, is efficient and error-prone; users will leave for a better designed site.
- pg 31: Create a clear visual hierarchy, relying on prominence, grouping, and nesting of elements to provide cues.
- pg 36: Stick to conventions unless you know you have a better idea and everyone you show it to agrees.
- pg 36: Break up pages into clearly defined areas, and make obvious what is clickable on a page.
- pg 38: Keep visual busy-ness, or elements clamoring for attention, and background noise to a minimum.
- pg 41: Kurg's second law of usability is it doesn't matter how many times we have to click, as long as each is an easy choice.
- pg 45: Kurg's third law of usability is to get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what's left.
- pg 46: Remove happy talk, which is introductory text that is sociable but content-free.
- pg 47: Eliminate the need for instructions by making everything self-explanatory, since users muddle through anyway.
- pg 51: People won't use your web site if they can't find their way around it.
- pg 54: Search-dominant users will look for the search box first, while link-dominant users will browse the site first.
- pg 57: Unlike browsing physical spaces, sites offer no sense of scale, no sense of direction, and no sense of location.
- pg 58: The home page is important because it is a fixed place, always able to give the user a fresh start.
- pg 63: Persistent navigation is the set of navigation elements that appear on every page, except the home page and forms.
- pg 66: Don't put more than five utilities -- links to important elements not part of the content hierarchy -- in the persistent navigation.
- pg 68: Make the search box a simple box with no options, but allow limiting the scope of the search on the page of results.
- pg 73: Every web page needs a name that matches the words clicked to get there.
- pg 75: Subtlety is one of the traits of sophisticated design, but users are in such a hurry they miss subtle cues.
- pg 78: Make breadcrumbs small and at the very top of a page, where they don't interfere with the primary navigation.
- pg 79: Don't substitute the last, boldfaced item in the breadcrumbs list for a page name that frames the content.
- pg 82: An active tab should be a different color and physically connect with the space below it so it "pops" to the front.
- pg 84: Have a tab selected when the user enters the web site.
- pg 85: Every site should have a clearly identifiable site ID, page name, sections, local navigation, "you are here" indicator, and search box.
- pg 91: Always avoid stacking underlined text links, as they are hard to read.
- pg 93: If scoping a search, add the word "for" so it reads like a sentence: "Search ___ for ___."
- pg 99: A home page should answer: what is this, what do they have here, what can I do here, why should I be/stay here?
- pg 101: Use a tagline next to the site ID and a welcome blurb to introduce your site.
- pg 103: A welcome blurb is a terse description; don't use a corporate mission statement.
- pg 105: A tagline conveys a value proposition; don't use a motto, which is a lofty and reassuring principle, goal, or ideal.
- pg 107: A home page should answer where to start, clearly allowing for searching or browsing.
- pg 108: Home page navigation and persistent navigation, two versions of the same thing, must have the same section names.
- pg 110: Consider static lists over pulldown menus, which don't allow formatting for readability and require scrolling.
- pg 127: The culture of hype (e.g. marketing) creates promises that must be delivered by the culture of craft (e.g. programmers).
- pg 128: The "average user" is a myth, so don't design for him; what works is good, integrated design that fills a need.
- pg 129: Usability testing moves the discussion of what's right or what wrong to what works or what doesn't work.
- pg 135: Any testing with anyone is better than no testing, and a bit of testing earlier is better than a lot of testing later.
- pg 138: Test with three or four users each round, and test for more than one round to catch new problems.
- pg 139: It doesn't much matter whom you test with -- take anyone you can get, and grade on a curve.
- pg 143: In lieu of a camcorder, use a screen recorder during user tests to easily share and review them later.
- pg 144: Before designing your own site, test a live, comparable site to see what works and what doesn't.
- pg 150: "Get it" testing checks if the user understands the site's value proposition from the home page without further navigation.
- pg 154: "Key task" testing assigns the user a task, and observing the steps taken. Allow the user some choice in the task.
- pg 156: Don't agonize over finding the perfect solutions to found problems -- just try something else and iterate.
- pg 157: When triaging, ignore "kayak problems," where the user goes astray but gets back on track immediately without any help.
- pg 158: Good design is a delicate balance, so when fixing a problem, ensure that you aren't introduce new ones.
- pg 163: Think of users as having a reservoir of goodwill; if you deplete it, they might leave, and perhaps never return.
- pg 164: Don't punish the user for not doing things your way, e.g. entering a phone number in a particular format.
- pg 167: Provide a graceful and obvious way for the user to recover from errors.
- pg 175: If something confuses most people who use your site, it's almost certain to confuse users with accessibility issues.
- pg 178: Put your web site content in the order that a screen reader should read it, and use CSS to adjust its position.
- pg 179: Put a "Skip to Main Content" link at the beginning of each page.
- pg 182: Asking for too much personal data can attract false data, or drive people away from submitting anything.
- pg 183: "Sizzle" on a web site can get in the way, cause long load times, or just look tacky.