Editorial Review

Usability design is one of the most important--yet often least attractive--tasks for a Web developer. In Read more

Reviews (298)

A must read for anyone involved in website creation
An infinitely quotable book which takes you through the fundaments of designing websites that customers will find easy to use.Easy to use websites of course being successful websites.
The Title Says It All
I've read a lot on usability, and this is the single-best source I've seen. Every site designer and developer has to read this book. In fact, everyone on the decision food chain in your organization at least needs to be aware of what Krug teaches us. I will forever use usability testing often and early in the process now. Remember, it doesn't matter how cool your application or website is--if people can't use it, they will get frustrated and leave. Please--give us all a better experience!

definitely not a waste of paper :-)
This is a wise book, intentionaly kept small to be qucikly digestible. Very cleanly and simply the author describes where are the problems customers/users encounter while browsing the web, and how web contents designers should avoid making users think (more than absolutely necessary) while trying to do something on one's pages (look for/report/buy/pay/etc). The best book I have read in years.
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Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: Web Publishing    3. Computers    4. Design    5. Internet - Web Site Design    6. Internet - World Wide Web    7. Web site development    8. Web sites    9. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design    10. World Wide Web (WWW)   

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Reviews (28)

XVII vs 17 - Names Matter
You know how much it helps to choose nice names for the variables in your programs - yes you will have seen some of these patterns before, but having the nice names to think with can be like Roman vs Decimal numerals - XVII or 17, there's a difference.Searching for [ Tidwell Interfaces ] you can find the author's site, which has free excerpts. Amazon lacks an "online excerpts available" pattern, is this good business or not, hmm.

collection of interface design patterns
this is not a "how to design interfaces" book - more of a "here is what has worked in the past when people designed interfaces". it's great for inspiration, as its examples range across web apps, desktop apps, mobile devices and others.

Clearly written, thoughtful content
I enjoyed this book for two reasons:
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Desktop Publishing - General    5. Programming - Software Development    6. Software engineering    7. User Interfaces    8. User interfaces (Computer systems)    9. Computers / Languages / Programming    10. Computers / Programming / Software Development    11. Computers / User Interfaces    12. Computers/User Interfaces    13. General Theory of Computing    14. Human-computer interaction   

Editorial Review

Creating Web sites is easy. Creating sites that truly meet the needs and expectations of the wide range of online users is quite another story. In Read more

Reviews (232)

Very nice book
this is a very good book about web usability and its not a complex kind of book, you start reading it and u dont want to stop it untill you finish it!

Not quite what I expected..
As an avid read of Mr.Nielsen's blog and his website, I figured this book would comprise the "Bible of Web Design".Unfortunately, I was a bit let down.
Simple IS usually better
Please people don't design incredibly complex sites with over the top graphics that take an hour(feels like) to download even on broadband! I encounter this everyday and can't imagine what it must be like for those on dial-up, which is still most of the internet user base. Designers like to design and justify their high paying jobs by these crazy sites that simply drive me nuts. I recently tried looking for sunglasses on the Ray Ban site and Holy [...]! What a pain in the [...]! I finally went to a small reseller site where I could actually see the glasses quickly and make a purchase. The Ray Ban site I'm sure cost a fortune and is pretty but NOT user friendly. Web site designers need to remember that these sites are for people to find products and services, not to win design contests. My ex is a graphic designer(excuse me...User Interface Experience) for a very well know company and I know how they think. The more elaborate the better, we can charge clients more! KISS ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Electronic publishing    7. Internet - General    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Networking - General    10. User interfaces (Computer syst    11. User interfaces (Computer systems)    12. Web sites    13. World Wide Web    14. Computer graphics software    15. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design    16. World Wide Web (WWW)   

Reviews (1)

a comprehensive widget set for C++
When C++ was first put together in the 80s, it was just before the advent of GUIs for many programs. But as Java arose in the 90s, and then C#, the need for easy UI coding in C++ became very clear. Hence Qt was developed. Now in its 4th version. And available for Microsoft Windows, linux, Macintosh and several unixes. The accompanying CD has version 4.1.1. Though by the time you get this book, you might want to scout the Web, either for patches to this version, or a more recent version.
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Subjects:  1. C++ (Computer program language)    2. Computer Books: Operating Systems    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. Computers - Operating Systems    6. Graphical user interfaces (Computer systems)    7. Operating Systems - Linux    8. Operating Systems - UNIX    9. Programming - General    10. Programming - Software Development    11. Programming Languages - C++    12. User Interfaces    13. C & Visual C    14. Computers / Operating Systems / Linux   

Reviews (12)

Great usability book
As my second most favorite usability book, this book points out the hundreds of ways a site can go wrong, and the many points to consider when designing sites. Let's be honest - it's pretty impossible to satisfy all their guidelines and STILL meet a deadline - but at least you can pick the ones that matter most to your company, and be aware of the once you missed. Another must read for web designers.
Must read for any serious web developer
rioritizing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen and Hoa Loranger can best be described as a more 'strict' approach to web usability. If you have been in web development for any extended period of time it is likely that you have heard the name Jakob Nielsen. He offers great insight to web usability and has for many years. Some may view him as strict, some as normal, and still some as WAY off his rocker. No matter how you view him, he deserves much respect for his time spent in usability studies and the (somewhat timeless) statistics and information he brings to the table. I just finished reading this book, coupled with "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krugg, and appreciated what all of the authors could present through statistics, screenshots, and customer insight.
Good value for money
It was in v. good condition and the book was useful for us in building some web standards through our organization ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: Web Publishing    3. Computer Programs Testing    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Internet - Web Site Design    7. Internet - World Wide Web    8. Programming - Systems Analysis & Design    9. User interfaces (Computer systems)    10. Web sites    11. Computers / Internet / World Wide Web    12. Computing and Information Technology   

Reviews (37)

Needs more examples!
I think this guy has a book about how the inmates are running the asylum...well this book suffers from what happens when the subject matter experts (SME) are allowed to write books.BORING!!!SME's always seem to forget to include compelling examples.Yes there are little screen shots, but IMO in order for a book to be compelling that has to do with design...it needs to show LOTS of examples of good design.The bulk of the book should be about breaking down those designs.I need to hear why a specific design is effective.Take a hint from Steve Krugs book "Don't Make me Think".That book is extremely effective without inundating the reader with jargon.Lots of examples withmeaningful visual breakdowns.Afterall...isnt UI design a VISUAL communication form?

Not for experienced developers
I have 7 years experience and I wasn't able to get any value out of this book.Based on some of the reviews on this site I thought that the book would be worth buying but unless you are in school or right out of school then your $35 is better spent elsewhere.
Good on concepts, weaker on examples
This follow up to About Face is a good overview of the critical concepts to improve software usability.Cooper and Reiman know their stuff.Reading this certainly provides you with the grounding you need to make good decisions.At a tactical level, the book could certainly do more to help with real-world examples.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer software    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. Design    6. Development    7. Human factors    8. Human-Computer Interaction    9. Internet - General    10. Programming - Software Development    11. Software Development    12. User Interfaces    13. Computer Communications & Networking    14. Computer Programming    15. Computers / User Interfaces   

Reviews (28)

Insightful, but short for the price
This book is a well-written look at, like the title says, the elements of user experience. While I think the $30 price tag (retail price) is a bit high for a 180 page book, and I think the topic would have been better covered in an eBook or long article (or series of articles), the author succeeds in communicating his vision of the pieces that comprise a user experience.
User centered bloatware!
Some nice ideas in a book with far too many pages. This story could be told in an article (OK, I'll admit a lenghty one), but it doesn't need a whole book to tell. And, although the ideas are nice, they are certainly not essential and they could be traded in for other equally good ideas on user-experience (imho)

Better IA through better understanding of the Dev Process
JJG has enlightened me about the 5 layers of User Experience Design: Strategy, Scope, Structure, Skeleton, and Surface.I have learned that the traditional Information Architecture of categorizing, labeling, and indexing data leaves much to be desired when trying to have a significant impact on the User-friendly outcome of a web application's Software Development Lifecycle.
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Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Internet - Web Site Design    7. Internet - World Wide Web    8. User Interface    9. User Interfaces    10. User interfaces (Computer systems)    11. Web site development    12. Web sites    13. Computers / Internet / General   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Languages    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Mathematical & Statistical Software    5. Programming - General    6. User Interfaces   

Features

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Reviews (3)

Good techniques
This book is filled with too many stories, facts and fictions. There are lots of success stories told about Ajax. Every so called "design pattern" discussion begins with a fictional story. I'm not sure if this is good, but for me it just bloats the book and adds unnecessary readings for my eyes that too easily get tired.
The Best Ajax Book!
If you think you know anything about Ajax, you're wrong. After you read this book you'll realize how little you knew. Michael Mahemoff has a PhD in Computer Science, but it might as well be on Ajax since I've never read a book with so much useful information about it. There are about 8 or 9 Ajax books on the market right now and none of them come close to giving the useful information this one does and that is only after reading the first 150 pages. This book really is the complete tutorial and reference to learning and using Ajax properly.
Analytical look at Ajax implementations
Very nicely done.The author spends time analyzing the problems various Ajax implementations are trying to solve and abstracts the concepts into a "pattern".I appreciated the author's attempt toallocate an "established use" value to each pattern described, which ranges from "widespread usage" to "purely speculative".
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Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: Languages    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. Internet - Application Development    6. Internet - Web Site Design    7. Programming - Software Development    8. Programming Languages - CGI, Javascript, Perl, VBScript    9. Ajax (Web site development technology)    10. Ajax, DHTML, JavaScript, Asynchronous JavaScript, XML, patterns, design, usability, user experience    11. Asynchronous transfer mode    12. Computer / Internet    13. Computers / Internet / Application Development    14. Computers / Programming Languages / CGI, JavaScript, Perl, VBScript    15. Internet    16. JavaScript (Computer program language)    17. Web site development   

Reviews (29)

Very informative, but weak editing
I read this book in preparation for an ESX deployment at my workplace. I must say that this book answered all of my questions, and I feel that I'm ready to take on the new challenge of virtualization. This book covers the concepts, software, best practices, and necessary changes in mindset quite thoroughly.
An informative and practical resource source.
VMware's ESX is dissected and placed into a practical context.Ron includes many comments and observations taken from the field and even ex parte conversations with industry experts, adding value to an already informative ESX source.It is written in a very readable style.Though it may be true that part of the contents is available in ESX's product documentation, the organization and logical flow provided by the book allow such information to be readily available.

Good book
I am halfway through the book and really like it.The technology is exciting and the book is very good at walking you through the considerations and instructions related to building a VMware ESX Server without using "Microsoft Speak".Cannot go wrong buying this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Operating Systems    2. Computers    3. Computers - Operating Systems    4. Operating Systems - General    5. Storage area networks (Computer networks)    6. Web servers    7. Computers / Operating Systems / General    8. Operating systems & graphical user interfaces (GUIs)   

Editorial Review

The recurring metaphor in Read more

Reviews (124)

Author is out of touch
I'm sorry to report that Alan Cooper appears to be years out of touch with the software industry.He lobbies for a new 'interaction design' class of professionals working toward designing how the user sees the system - but the industry started doing these things a good 15-20 years ago.Also, he assertions that "in software, typically nothing is visible until it is done" is just plain wrong today; 20 years ago that was true but the software industry today uses storyboards, paper usability reviews, UI mockups, prototypes, etc all with the intent of designing a user friendly interface before the first line of code is written.He starts off with flawed assumptions and ignorance and goes downhill from there.
A must read for IT developers, designers and managers
Cooper's observations are right on. Many books on interaction design deal mainly with design examples and methods. "Inmates" has some of that, but the best part focuses on IT business culture, and the obstacles it poses for creating usable and desirable software and websites. It's a passionate, eloquent, 'non-sugar coated' manifesto for software that doesn't make people feel stupid, and what's needed to make that happen.
He quoted Parkinson's law
From the book: "Managers know that software development follows Parkinson's Law: Work will expand to fill the time alloted to it." This is such an outdated idea and method for managers to deal with software engineers the rest of the book was tainted for me by his obvious distain for software engineers. Only the worst kind of un-trusting manager would assume that his engineers will naturally drag their feet if the schedule allows it.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - General Information    4. Consumers    5. Effect of technological innovations on    6. Human-Computer Interaction    7. Social Aspects - Human-Computer Interaction    8. User Interface    9. User Interfaces    10. User interfaces (Computer systems)    11. Virtual Reality    12. Computers / Social Aspects / General    13. Impact of computing & IT on society   

Editorial Review

While there is a plethora of books available that provide tips on Web design, most authors leave a significant gap between the theory and practice--a gap that is left up to the reader to fill. Read more

Reviews (67)

Nielson disappoints again
Admittedly, I've been biased against Nielson's works since the publication of `Designing Web Usability' in 1999; finding his tendency to oversimplify and `deconstruct' rather ineffectual. And as usual, `Homepage Usability' disappoints as an overly sensational and inaccurate evaluation of homepage usability. There are good parts, in particular, the statistics you may want to reference for your own usability initiatives. But the `50 webpages deconstructed' portion is not much more than Nielson spewing hot air. If you learn (or are entertained) best through critique by an impossible standard and ideal, by all means, this book is for you. If you are looking for a USABLE and real life guide to homepage design, look elsewhere.

Jakob Nielsen is a huge dork!
I was forced to use this book for college in a "Website Admin" class.I think the first 53 pages make a good reference for web design but the rest of it is all about how fortune 500 companies have bad websites.Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, etc... come on now, these companies ARE the internet and this guy is "deconstructing" them and critisizing what they do wrong.Anyway, design is completely relative so use this as a guide only.By the way... pages 54 through 320 can be removed as far as i'm concerned.
detailed critiques of major websites
This book excels in giving detailed critiques of the home pages of 50 prominent websites. These include Microsoft, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, General Electric and Boeing. The websites span the gamut from appealing to a mass audience, like Amazon and MTV, to more specialised corporate sites like GE.
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Subjects:  1. Business enterprises    2. Computer - Internet    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Networks    5. Computers    6. Design    7. Desktop Publishing    8. Desktop Publishing - General    9. Internet - Web Site Design    10. Web site development    11. Web sites    12. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design    13. Publishing on the Internet    14. World Wide Web (WWW)   

Reviews (11)

It's about communication not design
This book does not cover design of the interface well at all. Excellent Practicle tips
This book was the best out of several others that I have read realted to usability engineering or UCD. It had several practical examples and stories attached to each topic. Its excellent for starter as well as proffesionals who are working at companies and have to justify several things. Several formates for reports and other resources are available for conducting a good Users and Task Analysis. More so its really easy and interesting to read with all the stories and the diagrams.

Read it before you need it.
If there is one strong message in this book, it is: Go talk to the people who will use your product. It's an important message. Software designers and writers spend too much time with each other developing clever tricks, while the poor user, often left to self-train with a poorly written manual, gives up in frustration. The authors follow their own advice--in addition to telling you how to conduct a site visit to the end users, there are clear instructions (based on experience) on planning a visit, structuring questions, how to make the site visit useful for both the analyzers and the users, and figuring out what the user said and what it means about the product.There are reminders about release forms and examples of the forms themselves.Case studies help make the points clear and undestandable. A thoroughly readable book in clear and simple language that can be started anywhere for quick help, or read cover to cover for a complete course. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Programming - Software Development    5. Programming - Systems Analysis & Design    6. Programming Languages - General    7. User Interface    8. User interfaces (Computer syst    9. User interfaces (Computer systems)    10. Virtual Reality    11. Calculus & mathematical analysis    12. Computers / User Interfaces    13. Human-computer interaction   

Reviews (9)

Easily implementable advice!
We recently staged a persona open house in strict accordance with John and Tamara's guidelines.Buzz posters, large graphical depictions of six personas, a collage of locations visited to gather user data, and an audio-video presentation of our persona development process came together and delivered the sought-after message to hundreds of Boeing workers and managers. We couldn't have pulled this media event off without this book.

The one book you must read when developing and implementingpersonas
"The Persona Lifecycle" is an extremely thorough documentation of creating and implementing personas. I was particularly impressed with the care taken to document ways and means of implementing personas so they are adopted as part of the ongoing design process, and to prevent them from fizzling out.
Very thorough and useful
Covers both conceptual background and is full of practical hands-on advice as well. We have been using the design maps and found them very effective at speeding good design. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Other Applications    4. Industrial research    5. Miscellaneous Software    6. New products    7. Product management    8. User Interfaces    9. Applications of Computing    10. Computers / Programming / Software Development   

Reviews (5)

Dear Bill,
Bill,
This book should have been under 200 pages ..
There is useful information in this book but it Required for anyone who is serious about interface design
The field of interface and interaction design is formally known as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). It is significant that a large amount of HCI deals with non-programming issues such as psychological approaches to end-user experience, social manners of the audience, and more. The Essential Guide to User Interface Design provide a comprehensive overview of the essentials of interface design. Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - General    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. Graphical user interfaces (Com    6. Graphical user interfaces (Computer systems)    7. Microcomputer Graphics    8. Programming - General    9. Social Aspects - Human-Computer Interaction    10. User Interface    11. User Interfaces    12. Computers / User Interfaces    13. Operating systems & graphical user interfaces (GUIs)    14. Systems analysis & design   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Mathematical & Statistical Software    5. Programming - General    6. Programming Languages - General    7. User Interfaces   

Reviews (6)

Excellent introduction to usability testing
Most of the existing books about usability testing are ten years old.While these books have a lot to offer a current student of user-centred design and usability testing, some students find them too out-of-date to be taken seriously.This book addresses that issue.The audience for the book is clearly for those who are new to usability and usability testing.However, experienced professionals will find a fair amount of information that is useful to them as well. A solid textbook on usability testing that includes web
It's been a long time since we've had a new textbook on usability testing. Dumas and Redish came out in 1993, Rubin in 1994 and although I still use both of them constantly, I've been looking out for a solid textbook that has more awareness of the web in it. Carol Barnum's new book meets that need. STC Usability SIG review
I am the Usability SIG Manager for the Washington, DC chapter of the STC (Society for Technical Communication). I wrote this review which was published in the October 2002 edition of the Usability Interface, the quarterly newsletter of the Usability SIG of the STC.