# Dont Make Me Think ## Metadata * Author: [Steve Krug](https://www.amazon.comundefined) * ASIN: B000SEGQNS * Reference: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SEGQNS * [Kindle link](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS) ## Highlights If you can’t make a page self-evident, you at least need to make it self-explanatory. — location: [372](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=372) ^ref-7228 --- FACT OF LIFE #1: We don’t read pages. We scan them. One of the very few well-documented facts about Web use is that people tend to spend very little time reading most Web pages.1 Instead, we scan (or skim) them, looking for words or phrases that catch our eye. — location: [407](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=407) ^ref-43256 --- we tend to focus on words and phrases that seem to match (a) the task at hand or (b) our current or ongoing personal interests. And of course, (c) the trigger words that are hardwired into our nervous systems, like “Free,” Sale,” and “Sex,” and our own name. — location: [428](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=428) ^ref-2068 --- We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice. — location: [430](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=430) ^ref-41410 --- If your audience is going to act like you’re designing billboards, then design great billboards. — location: [510](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=510) ^ref-64042 --- > Create a clear visual hierarchy on each page > Take advantage of conventions > Break pages up into clearly defined areas > Make it obvious what’s clickable > Minimize noise. — location: [516](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=516) ^ref-59826 --- Every newspaper page, for instance, uses prominence, grouping, and nesting to give us useful information about the contents of the page before we read a word. — location: [536](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=536) ^ref-51500 --- you’re going to innovate, you have to understand the value of what you’re replacing, and many designers tend to underestimate just how much value conventions provide. My recommendation: Innovate when you know you have a better idea (and everyone you show it to says “Wow!”), but take advantage of conventions when you don’t. — location: [586](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=586) ^ref-57379 --- When you’re designing Web pages, it’s probably a good idea to assume that everything is visual noise until proven otherwise. — location: [639](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=639) ^ref-15274 --- Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left. —KRUG’S THIRD LAW OF USABILITY — location: [690](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=690) ^ref-60149 --- The Elements of Style: — location: [693](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=693) ^ref-62022 --- Strunk, Jr., and E B. White, The Elements of Style (Allyn and Bacon, 1979). — location: [697](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=697) ^ref-24757 --- Your objective should always be to eliminate instructions entirely by making everything self-explanatory, or as close to it as possible. When instructions are absolutely necessary, cut them back to the bare minimum. — location: [727](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=727) ^ref-22507 --- the purposes of navigation — location: [849](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=849) ^ref-13361 --- to help us find whatever it is we’re looking for, and to tell us where we are. — location: [850](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=850) ^ref-4465 --- It gives us something to hold on to. — location: [852](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=852) ^ref-63254 --- Information Architecture for the World Wide Web by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville (O’Reilly, 2002) — location: [953](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=953) ^ref-50920 --- > Every page needs a name. Just as every corner should have a street sign, every page should have a name. — location: [1021](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1021) ^ref-23659 --- The name needs to be in the right place. — location: [1027](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1027) ^ref-15378 --- > Use > between levels. — location: [1113](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1113) ^ref-36339 --- > Use tiny type—again, — location: [1118](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1118) ^ref-7068 --- Use the words “You are here.” — location: [1119](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1119) ^ref-59598 --- > Boldface the last item. — location: [1121](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1121) ^ref-40648 --- Don’t use them instead of a page name. — location: [1123](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1123) ^ref-15908 --- > They’re slick. — location: [1170](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1170) ^ref-32853 --- If the page is well designed, when your vision clears you should be able to answer these questions without hesitation: > What site is this? (Site ID) > What page am I on? (Page name) > What are the major sections of this site? (Sections) > What are my options at this level? (Local navigation) > Where am I in the scheme of things? (“You are here” indicators) > How can I search? — location: [1221](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1221) ^ref-25804 --- > — location: [1222](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1222) ^ref-15934 --- Think about all the things the Home page has to accommodate: — location: [1324](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1324) ^ref-29170 --- Site identity and mission. — location: [1325](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1325) ^ref-41195 --- Site hierarchy. — location: [1327](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1327) ^ref-5575 --- Search. Most sites need to have a prominently displayed search box on the Home page. — location: [1330](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1330) ^ref-7618 --- > Teases. Like the cover of a magazine, the Home page needs to entice me with hints of the “good stuff” inside. Content promos spotlight the newest, best, or most popular pieces of content, like top stories and hot deals. — location: [1332](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1332) ^ref-47922 --- Timely content. If the site’s success depends on my coming back often, the Home page probably needs to have some content that gets updated frequently. And even a site that doesn’t need regular visitors needs some signs of life—even if it’s only a link to a recent press release—to signal me that it’s not moribund. — location: [1335](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1335) ^ref-44564 --- > Show me what I’m looking for. — location: [1345](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1345) ^ref-650 --- > …and what I’m not looking for. — location: [1346](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1346) ^ref-34437 --- > Show me where to start. — location: [1349](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1349) ^ref-62419 --- > Establish credibility and trust. For — location: [1350](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1350) ^ref-33321 --- > Good taglines are just long enough. Six to eight words seem to be long enough to convey a full thought, but short enough to absorb easily. — location: [1446](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1446) ^ref-57055 --- > Good taglines convey differentiation and a clear benefit. — location: [1454](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1454) ^ref-22472 --- Don’t confuse a tagline with a motto, like “We bring good things to life,” “You’re in good hands,” or “To protect and to serve.” A motto expresses a guiding principle, a goal, or an ideal, but a tagline conveys a value proposition. Mottoes are lofty and reassuring, but if I don’t know what the thing is, a motto isn’t going to tell me. > Good taglines are personable, lively, and sometimes clever. Clever is good, but only if the cleverness helps convey—not obscure—the benefit. — location: [1460](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1460) ^ref-31706 --- When I enter a new site, after a quick look around the Home page I should be able to say with confidence: > Here’s where to start if I want to search. > Here’s where to start if I want to browse. > Here’s where to start if I want to sample their best stuff. — location: [1485](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1485) ^ref-53177 --- > If you want a great site, you’ve got to test. After you’ve worked on a site for even a few weeks, you can’t see it freshly anymore. You know too much. The only way to find out if it really works is to test it. — location: [1823](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1823) ^ref-36106 --- The importance of recruiting representative users is overrated. — location: [1846](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1846) ^ref-3701 --- The point of testing is not to prove or disprove something. It’s to inform your judgment. — location: [1848](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1848) ^ref-26073 --- Testing is an iterative process. — location: [1853](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1853) ^ref-10031 --- Testing isn’t something you do once. You make — location: [1854](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1854) ^ref-39541 --- > Nothing beats a live audience reaction. — location: [1855](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1855) ^ref-40420 --- It’s usually not a good idea to design a site so that only your target audience can use it. — location: [1914](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1914) ^ref-2448 --- Experts are rarely insulted by something that is clear enough for beginners. — location: [1918](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1918) ^ref-16043 --- If your site is going to be used almost exclusively by one type of user and it’s no harder to recruit from that group, then — location: [1920](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1920) ^ref-48043 --- If your audience is split between clearly defined groups with very divergent interests and needs, then you need to test users from each group at least once. For instance, if you’re building a university site, for at least one round of testing you want to recruit two students, two professors, two high school seniors, and two administrators. But for the other rounds, you can choose any mix. — location: [1923](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1923) ^ref-32562 --- > If using your site requires specific domain knowledge (e.g., a currency exchange site for money management professionals), then you need to recruit people with that domain knowledge for at least one round of tests. But don’t do it for every round if it will reduce the number of tests you do. When you’re recruiting: > Offer a reasonable incentive. — location: [1926](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1926) ^ref-13857 --- If using your site requires specific domain knowledge (e.g., a currency exchange site for money management professionals), then you need to recruit people with that domain knowledge for at least one round of tests. But don’t do it for every round if it will reduce the number of tests you do. — location: [1926](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1926) ^ref-32661 --- Keep the invitation simple. — location: [1934](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1934) ^ref-30541 --- Avoid discussing the site (or the organization behind the site) beforehand. You want their first look to tell you whether they can figure out what it is from a standing start. — location: [1936](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1936) ^ref-62301 --- > Don’t be embarrassed to ask friends and neighbors. You don’t have to feel like you’re imposing if you ask friends or neighbors to participate. — location: [1939](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1939) ^ref-39343 --- The key is to start testing early (it’s really never too early) and test often, at each phase of Web development. — location: [1977](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1977) ^ref-30598 --- you can do two kinds of testing: “Get it” testing and key tasks. > “Get it” testing is just what it sounds like: show them the site, and see if they get it—do they understand the purpose of the site, the value proposition, how it’s organized, how it works, and so on. > Key task testing means asking the user to do something, then watching how well they do. — location: [1985](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1985) ^ref-27967 --- doing tasks that they have a hand in choosing. It’s much better, for instance, to say “Find a book you want to buy, or a book you bought recently” than “Find a cookbook for under $14.” When people are doing made-up tasks, they have no emotional investment in it, and they can’t use as much of their personal knowledge. — location: [1991](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=1991) ^ref-2238 --- You’re doing two things at this meeting: > Triage—reviewing the problems people saw and deciding which ones need to be fixed. > Problem solving—figuring out how to fix them. — location: [2018](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2018) ^ref-30324 --- Here are the types of problems you’re going to see most often when you test: > Users are unclear on the concept. — location: [2029](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2029) ^ref-46442 --- > The words they’re looking for aren’t there. This usually means that either (a) the categories you’ve used to organize your content aren’t the ones they would use, or (b) the categories are what they expect, but you’re just not using the names they expect. — location: [2032](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2032) ^ref-23815 --- > There’s too much going on. Sometimes what they’re looking for is right there on the page, but they’re just not seeing it. In this case, you need to either (a) reduce the overall noise on the page, or (b) turn up the volume on the things they need to see so they “pop” out of the visual hierarchy more. — location: [2035](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2035) ^ref-19794 --- > Resist the impulse to add things. — location: [2054](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2054) ^ref-5803 --- > Take “new feature” requests with a grain of salt. — location: [2058](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2058) ^ref-3244 --- Grab the low-hanging fruit. — location: [2061](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2061) ^ref-22777 --- Head slappers. These are the surprises that show up during testing where the problem and the solution were obvious to everyone the moment they saw the first user try to muddle through. — location: [2063](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2063) ^ref-64992 --- Cheap hits. Also try to implement any changes that (a) require almost no effort, or (b) require a little effort but are highly visible. — location: [2066](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2066) ^ref-53373 --- Know the main things that people want to do on your site and make them obvious and easy. It’s usually not hard to figure out what people want to do on a given Web site. — location: [2179](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2179) ^ref-36216 --- Save me steps wherever you can. — location: [2188](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2188) ^ref-59264 --- Put effort into it. — location: [2192](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2192) ^ref-62219 --- Know what questions I’m likely to have, and answer them. — location: [2196](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2196) ^ref-1857 --- Provide me with creature comforts like printer-friendly pages. People love being able to print stories that span multiple pages with a single click, — location: [2205](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2205) ^ref-57172 --- Make it easy to recover from errors. — location: [2209](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2209) ^ref-39762 --- When in doubt, apologize. — location: [2213](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2213) ^ref-34612 --- > Add appropriate alt text to every image. Add an alt attribute for images that screen — location: [2381](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2381) ^ref-22093 --- Make your forms work with screen readers. This largely boils down to using the HTML label element to associate the fields with their prompts, so people know what they’re supposed to enter. — location: [2384](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2384) ^ref-11944 --- > Create a “Skip to Main Content” link at the beginning of each page. — location: [2386](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2386) ^ref-22443 --- > Make all content accessible by keyboard. — location: [2388](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B000SEGQNS&location=2388) ^ref-9287 ---