I read this handbook on Web usability for work related reasons. It was originally published in the early 2000’s, shortly after Jakob Nielsen’s Designing Web Usability. Both Krug and Nielsen have since become (along with Steve Jobs and Jony Ives, at Apple) the head honchos of Web Design.

This short and highly readable book covers topics such as: how people really use websites (they don’t actually read, they like to scan and browse mindlessly… but we already knew that, didn’t we?), how to design navigation and breadcrumbs, etc. Krug insists on the importance of usability testing: one chapter is actually a cookbook on how to conduct user tests without getting top-heavy on the matter. This recent republication also includes a chapter on designing for mobile and accessibility.

A very enjoyable, casual (and oftentimes fun) read, that the staff at Goodreads should consider rereading from time to time: a word to the wise is enough!

Thus far, I'd say our old bookahs are still more usable than anything digital… or aren’t they? :)

Great for people new to design that want to get a grasp of most of best practices and mindsets to have while designing digital products. I found it a bit too basic and quite outdated, but still great to get more design books into my library

“Usability is about people and how they understand and use things, not about technology.”

An essential book for anyone working on websites. The book title is the main point, but Krug does a good job at explaining how to go about doing web usability well. My favorite analogy is treating a website like a well organized store (like Lowes). A person can walk into a store and easily navigate it to accomplish the task at hand. We need to make sure websites are set up to do the same.

The book that would never get old or outdated. Just a perfect example how a book without any code samples can bring you value you will never find in the programming manuals.

Includes a lot of good points, so works well as a handbook for people interested in or doing webdesign or usability. Some points I knew of beforehand, while others were new to me, including chapter 11 about accessibility and 12 about what to do if your boss wants a design that you don't believe will work. The book is from 2006 so uses examples from old websites, however, the points made from these sites can still be helpful.

It will be a book that I will be continually look back on once in a while to brush up on usability tips and tricks. Also includes a lot of great references to other books and articles about usability design.

4.5/5 this book was clear, direct, and almost fun to read, it explains very important concepts without being boring

ok

I bought this book because I needed a quick overview on usability testing. It succeeded on that front. I even had no issues skipping to the usability testing chapters, reading those first, and coming back to the rest of the book: each chapter is pretty self-contained.

Steve Krug's book is a classic for a reason. Great overview of a lot of topics, including pointers for where to dig more deeply into usability testing, accessibility considerations, etc. Very high-level, simple, clearly-written advice and easy on the eyes in terms of reading and knowing what topic you're reading about. He follows his own advice, especially about cutting out unnecessary words---this book is dense with information not because it's written at a really high level but because he doesn't waste your time making you read sentences you don't need.

Cons: second edition published in 2005, most of the screenshots are still of websites from 1999. The advice is slightly tainted by browser features at the time and conventions have changed slightly.

Subtitled - : A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability... This second edition of what could be considered the definitive book on web design. A must read for both professionals and enthusiasts. 8 out of 12.

I read the 2nd edition, so it was quite outdated. The basics are still very relevant though. And it was very easy to digest in a couple of days.

A nice overview of basic usability principles for building user interfaces. The call for do-it-yourself user testing is extremely important, though ignored or unknown to many companies. The sense of humor is great and the advice is fairly actionable and easy to follow.

The only downside (and hence a 4 star rating) is that the book could use more real world examples. Seeing many more screenshots of websites that do something well, side by side with those that do it poorly--or better yet, examples of incrementally improving a single design based on user testing--would make the lessons much more sticky.


Fun quotes from the book:

It's not rocket surgery.

The actual Average User is kept in a hermetically sealed vault at the International Bureau of Standards in Geneva.

What they actually do most of the time (if we’re lucky) is glance at each new page, scan some of the text, and click on the first link that catches their interest or vaguely resembles the thing they’re looking for. There are almost always large parts of the page that they don’t even look at. We’re thinking “great literature” (or at least “product brochure”), while the user’s reality is much closer to “billboard going by at 60 miles an hour.”

FACT OF LIFE #1: We don’t read pages. We scan them.

If your audience is going to act like you’re designing billboards, then design great billboards.

It doesn’t matter how many times I have to click, as long as each click is a mindless, unambiguous choice. —KRUG’S SECOND LAW OF USABILITY

The main thing you need to know about instructions is that no one is going to read them.

I think every Web development team should spend one morning a month doing usability testing. In a morning, you can test three users, then debrief over lunch. That’s it. When you leave the debriefing, the team will have decided what you’re going to fix before the next round of testing, and you’ll be done with testing for the month.

Experts are rarely insulted by something that is clear enough for beginners.

People are just as likely to be using their mobile devices while sitting on the couch at home, and they want (and expect) to be able to do everything. Or at least, everybody wants to do some things, and if you add them all up it amounts to everything.

please don't make me explain how it's possible that I've been a UX designer for 4+ years and haven't actually read this book before. It's well-written and helpful but not actually anything new/particularly helpful for me, which makes sense, bc I've been a UX designer for 4+ years. But this is one of The Books of UX for a reason I guess!! No notes*

*sorry, one note. The responsive/mobile section is pretty out of date at this point. Not WRONG per se but lol