Usability is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object to achieve a particular goal.
User experience (UX) is the way a person feels about using a product, system or service.
Usability = Toyota Corolla (function); UX = Maybach Exelero (finesse);
Book: Steve Krug - Don’t make me think
Don’t make me think! - krug’s first law of usability.
If you can’t make a page self-evident, you at least need to make it self-explanatory.
- We don’t read pages. We scan them.
- We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice. When we’re designing pages, we tend to assume that users will scan the page, consider all of the available options, and choose the best one. In reality, though, most of the time we don’t choose the best option—we choose the first reasonable option, a strategy known as satisficing.
- We don’t figure out how things work. We muddle through.
Create a clear visual hierarchy
- the more important something is, the more prominent it is;
- things that are related logically are also related visually;
- tabs are clear and undertandable;
- Conventions are your friends. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
- Break up pages into clearly defined areas
- Make it obvious what’s clickable
- Reduce the noise
Omit needless words
Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left. - krug’s third law of usability
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
Extra chapters from first edition (9-11).
Usability test:
Questions for homepage:
- What’s the point of this site?
- Do you know where to start?
Questions for page:
- What site is this? (Site ID)
- What page am I on? (Page name)
- What are the major sections of this site? (Global navigation)
- 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?
10 usability lessons from steve krugs dont make me think
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