Advanced Common Sense
Web usability consulting
Don’t Make Me Think
A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
When I wrote Don’t Make Me Think, my intent was to help people learn to think like a usability expert: to ask the same questions that were in my head when I did a usability review.
I believed that much of what I do is just common sense, so with a little instruction people could do a lot of it themselves.
Since then, the book has sold over 300,000 copies, and people have said many very nice things about it, like this understated Amazon review:
“This is maybe the best book about making web pages that has ever been written.”
Why has it been so popular?
- It’s short. I wrote it for busy people who don't do usability for a living, so it only covers what you really need to know. You can read it on a long airplane ride.
- It’s an easy, engaging read. I get email from people saying things like “My father-in-law, who barely uses a computer, picked up my copy and read the whole thing.”
- It’s a great introduction for beginners. These days, it’s usually the first book people read about usability.
- ...and for bosses. A story I hear constantly: “I gave it to my boss. He read it–because it’s short–and finally ‘got’ what I’ve been trying to tell him for years about usability. Then he bought copies for our whole team.”
- ...but pros like it, too. See Jeffrey Zeldman's quote in the next column.
Who should read it?
Don't ask me. Ask the Amazon reviewer who said:
“Absolutely everyone should read this book. The internet would be a far better place.”
“After reading it over a couple of hours and putting its ideas to work for the past five years, I can say it has done more to improve my abilities as a Web designer than any other book.”
—Jeffrey Zeldman, author of
Designing with Web Standards
FAQ
What’s the difference between your two books?
Don’t Make Me Think explains what everyone should know about usability.
Rocket Surgery Made Easy explains how to do your own usability testing, a simple, incredibly valuable tool.
2005? It’s out of date by now, right?
Usability may seem like it's about technology, which changes incredibly fast. But it's really about human nature, which rarely changes at all.
The Internet has come a long way since 2005, but the usability principles are still the same.
I’ve been doing Web design [or development, strategy, marketing, etc.] for a long time. Won’t this be too basic for me?
As one Amazon reviewer said:
“If you’re new to web design, you’ll learn TONS; if you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll get a solid refresher and maybe even pick up on a few new things.”
A lot of Web professionals tell me they leaf through their copy again every time they start a new project, just to remind themselves of all the “common sense” that they tend to forget.