Don't Make Me Think

I just finished reading Usability Consultant Steve Krug's book, Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. I highly recommend this quick read before you undertake your next Web site project. Krug states three simple Laws of Usability:

1. Don’t make users think.
2. It doesn’t mater how many times users have to click, if each click is an unambiguous choice.
3. Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left.

Here are some of his tips for implementing these laws:

Use logical labels: Navigation and content labels should be self-evident or self-explanatory. When users land on any page the site, they should immediately know:

• What site it is
• What page they’re on
• What the major sections are
• What the options are at this level
• Where they are in the overall site
• How to search

Provide standard navigation: Standards change over time, but these basic elements should appear on every page:

• Site ID (top left)
• Section labels (top center)
• Sub-section labels (2nd level top center)
• Utilities (search, contact, etc.) (top right)
• “You are here” indicator
• Page name (framing content)
• Local navigation (left-hand column)
• Small-text version of labels (bottom)

Create billboards, not essays: Write and design page content as if it will be seen like a highway billboard by a driver going 60 miles per hour. Follow these five principles for scan-able design:

1. Create a clear visual hierarchy
2. Use standard Web design conventions
3. Break pages into clearly defined areas
4. Make it obvious what’s clickable
5. Minimize noise.

Learn more about Krug and his usability workshops at Advanced Common Sense.