1. Don’t Make Me Think
Steve Krug
Dean Steuer
MFC 215

2. Key Points Don’t Make Me Think How People Use the Web
Scanning, not Reading
Navigation
Usability

3. Don’t Make Me Think The brain has a limit to what it can take in
Clarity is imperative
A user should always know what they’re doing
Everything should be self-evident
If it cannot be self-evident, make it self-explanatory

4. How People Use the Web People don’t read an entire webpage
People have a goal when they come to a page
People satisfice – they find the option most likely to lead to what they’re looking for
Make it clear what the page is about

5. Scanning, Not Reading People scan pages for relevant information:
Create a clear visual hierarchy
Stick to conventions, people know them
Clearly define portions of the page
Avoid noise
Make choices easy for the user

6. Navigation Clearly tell the user where they are and where they can go
Good navigation tells the user how to use the site without words
Persistent navigation includes:
Site ID
Sections
Link to main page
Search box
Design for browsers and searchers
Browser – people who look through a page for information
Searchers – people who use a search bar to find information

7. Usability Do Don’t Make information accessible and easy to find
Accommodate user errors
Make a concise and respectable design
Anticipate what users will do next i.e. print page
Don’t
Ask for more information than is necessary
Get in the user’s way with features
Be excessive with site design, it can be distracting
Make users search excessively for what they want