I've got to say, I think I'm going to like this book. And I even say this after reading it on a computer screen. That's a big thing for me, I have a whole soap box I could climb on about the advantages of printed books - but hey, for school? e-books have some positive features as well.
Krug writes in a completely conversational style and has made a point of writing a short and easily accessible book. His book is a bit old now, this second edition was published in 2006, but everything that I've read so far seems completely relevant and syncs up with the knowledge I already have.
The chapter titles are
- Don't make me think!
- How users really use the Web
- Billboard Design 101
- Animal, vegetable, or mineral?
- Omit
needlesswords
In essence these chapters lay the foundation for understanding what users are really looking for when they go to a web page: a frustration free experience that tells them what they need to know using the least amount of brain power.
The things I found the most interesting were Krug's ideas about the acceptable numbers of clicks, and how three mindless clicks equals one thoughtful click - when calculating mental payload. It really makes sense to me. I also appreciated how he said that users will invest some time to muddle through a difficult site - although I wonder how much the statistics have changed on that in the last 7 years.
The most painful part for me was Chapter 5 - "Omit needless words." Now, I agree with this, I know it to be true, but it still hurts. It makes me second guess everything I've ever written and published to a page (including this blog post). My 10th grade AP US History teacher was the first to teach me that less is more when it comes to writing, but I still have a long way to go!
Overall though, I really am enjoying this book and look forward to reading the next section in the near future!
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