What a refreshing read. The book is about design principles which make the experience seamless for the users, be it for websites or billboards. This is a topic completely outside of my usual reading and thinking arc. But the book is engaging and makes you comfortable right off the bat. I was amazed by the level of intricate thought designers put into building each element, as well as the overall design of websites.

There are numerous clever examples of comparison of good, not so good and bad design. The difference is often beautifully subtle. Users notice the difference only when they have to pause and think "Is this button clickable?" or "Where is the search bar?" or "Would a lawn mover be in the Hardware section or Household section?". The experience is smooth when the users don't have to think while navigating the site: this is the foundation on which the design principles in the book are written.

The author acknowledges and appreciates the widely varied opinions people can have on how a website looks and also the significance of elements like dropdowns and lists. Nonetheless, he says, there are some principles and conventions a website should stick to, while also being aware that great and revolutionary designs often violate the norms. So, the author has to tread carefully when talking about what good design is like. The author does it very well; not making himself too diplomatic, but also giving space for innovation. It has a good combination of specific examples and general philosophies.

The book was first published in 2000, when many of the today popular websites were in their infancy. It is interesting to read what website design was like at the time, and the vision the author had for better design in the succeeding decade. Some of what is obvious and standard for users and developers today was still in the innovation phase back then.

This is by no means an exhaustive account on design, but it's accessible to everyone. It's short, insightful and the author has a good sense of humour.

Amazing book. Written in a casual tone but still hones in on the most important issues of website design. As a non tech person I was amazed by how easily I understood the content.

a pensive book for developers
Every developer needs to read it.
It makes me think deeply about usability and accessibility.
For example, after I read a chapter on accessibility, I decided to design a website that could be helpful for blind people. Its main purpose is to help us have a better life. Because we use the software more than anything else now. You are reading my review on a website or on an application. Steve Krug's style makes me have a smile on my face while reading and understand it very well.

Solid, foundational book. Nothing surprising but I have some experience with / knowledge of the subject. Anyone looking to cover all the bases in terms of the theory and thinking behind webdesign should read this book.

É o livro zero para quem quer gosta dessa área de UX e UI porque trata daquilo que é e vai ser atemporal: o usuário está sempre perdido e quer a interface mais simples e mais familiar possível. Mas não só isso, o livro parece ter sido um dos primeiros a antecipar a importância da prototipagem e acessibilidade, que hoje está na boca de todo mundo.

Great for what it is and helpful to page through if you are redesigning a site or thinking about usability. Straight and to the point.

I think this book is deceptive in its simplicity.

If common sense was actually common, then the lessons in this book would be quite basic. But, as we all know, it's more occasional or infrequent sense that web developers and designers need to build for and cater to.

My only nitpicks are the examples seemed outdated and the chapter on mobile usability a bit sparse.

4 stars

At the beginning of the book, the author stated that the book's going to cover a lot of things that are commonsensical. That still does not justify the absurd quantity of obvious things that the book covered.

I learned maybe 5 or 6 new [minor] things from the 200-page book, and I could've figured out 2 or 3 of those things by myself if I was placed in a situation where I had to think about the problems to which they were the solutions.

If there are any summaries of this book in good websites, read them instead. Everything else covered in the book would only seem appealing to people with no ability whatsoever to problem-solve on their own.

Leitura muito importante para quem quer começar a trabalhar com interfaces

Mobile part is a bit outdated here in 2019, but in general valuable information.

Steve Krug’s book, originally published in 2000, is considered a classic in user design circles, notable for its distilled wisdom, quirky humour and droll illustrations.

With the burgeoning of the UX industry since the book’s initial publication, the ideas outlined in the book are not as novel today as they were several years ago. Nevertheless, it is always helpful to be reminded of “evergreen” usability principles and the importance of frequent user testing.

Read our full summary of this book here:
https://www.heliosdesign.com/blog/web...

A small and funny book about the principles and practices around usability. Worth reading if you work in the web dev world.