|  | Author: Steve Krug
Publisher: New Riders Press
List Price: $40.00
Buy New: $21.76
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Rating:  491 reviews
Sales Rank: 1196
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2nd
Pages: 216
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6.9 x 0.8
ISBN: 0321344758
Dewey Decimal Number: 006.7
EAN: 9780321344755
ASIN: 0321344758
Publication Date: August 28, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: All orders ship same business day via standard shipping (USPS Media Mail) if received by 1 PM CST. We do not ship to APO/FPO addresses.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 491-491 of 491
 Simple design principles that work October 24, 2000
Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com))
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
Ordinarily, I avoid using the phrase "common sense", considering it to be one of those generalities used when you are unable or unwilling to categorize an algorithm. However, in this case, it applies and is the only phrase that can be accurately used to describe web design techniques. The author is refreshing, in that he avoids any hint of passion in the explanations of what is right and wrong about web design. Taken by itself, his "what you use depends on the situation" approach appears to be wishy-washy. However, the most important point of the book, namely that there is no such thing as a typical web user, makes this a requirement.
His other point about the necessity for usability testing is one that we all understand. However, the points about getting effective feedback using only a few people is so correct that it will foster disbelief in those who believe that you must spend big to get the best results. Such people ignore the simple rules of statistical sampling. In a population with a great deal of overlapping variation, the random choice of three or four will almost always provide a group covering much of the spectrum. The key to getting effective feedback about a site is not to sample large but to sample well and pay attention to what the subjects say.
All feedback must also be passed through a reality analysis filter as well. There as many shades of like and dislike concerning the style of a web page as there are opinions about economic policy. As the author so effectively points out, a user saying "I like it" can range from, "I like this feature and will not use the site without it" to "I like this feature but will happily use the site if it is not there." The first is of course the most serious, but it also must be exposed to a critical examination before being taken seriously to the point of inclusion.
In summarizing the content of this book, it may appear that I am killing it with faint praise when I say that the best way to describe it is that the advice is practical. However, in the emerging art form known as web design, that is as good as it can get.
Showing reviews 491-491 of 491
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