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  Learning goal #5 of my PLP was to read the book, Don’t make me think and increase my knowledge regarding the principles of navigating and using the world wide web.

I completed reading the new edition of Steve Krug's book on web usability to meet this goal.

Don’t Make Me Think.

Steve Krug’s book, Don’t make me think, was recommended by the instructional designer at UWG.  I found the book easy to read and the information very useful.  The book was printed on nice, thick, and high quality paper which made reading more enjoyable. The font was large enough that reading glasses were not necessary and that made this reader not only feel younger but saved me time in locating my glasses. The pages and chapters were not crammed full of information and humor was used to make this intense subject matter more entertaining. The use of footnotes to further explain concepts was effective and kept paragraphs shorter.

The author designed the pages of his book as he recommended that a webpage be designed using eye catching headings, limited words, and lots of visual illustrations. The theme of the book was that when visiting a website, the visitor should have an easy time navigating and not have “to think” about how to accomplish the goal of the visit.  He recommended the two click and you are there method.  He argues against just muddling through a website as that takes precious time from the visitor and makes them feel less in control.  Krug stresses that most visitors are in a hurry and will simply scan a site and should find it clear which icons are “clickable”.

Steve Krug’s profession deals with website usability and he wrote this book for people who can’t afford his services.  Wikipedia describes website usability at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_usability. The book provides usability principles that anyone can use in website design and development.  The book was first published in 2000 and Krug added two chapters in this most current edition.  We weren’t carrying computers in the form of a phone in our pocket when the book was first written, so a chapter was added to address mobile devices and designing apps.  Krug states that “technology got its hands on some steroids” since the book was first published but that the principles of usability remain the same because it’s still about people and how they use the technology, not the technology itself.

Steve Krug’s web site: http://www.sensible.com/