Highly
Recommend
Resource!
A Common Sense Approach to Web
Usability
Steve Krug
 Nothing
important should ever be more than
two clicks away
 Be consistent
 Speak the user’s language
 Leave plenty of whitespace
 Don’t make me think
 Find
a site that’s too cluttered
 Puzzling
over things that don’t matter to us
tends to sap our energy and enthusiasm – and
time
 On the internet, the competition is always
just one click away, so if you frustrate users
they’ll head somewhere else.
 Names
Jobs
 Things
of things
Employment
Opportunities
Job-O-Rama
that aren’t obviously clickable
Results
 Do
I have to think about how to search?
Keyword
Title
Author
 We’d
like to think users will read our site
from top to bottom, then make choices.
 What
really happens?
 Usually
in a hurry
 Don’t really need to read everything
 We’re good at it
 Far
Side: blah blah GINGER blah blah blah
blah GINGER blah blah blah
 Focus
on words/phrases that match our goal
(plus trigger words – free, sale, etc.)
 Users
often don’t take the time to make
optimal choices
 Often choose the first reasonable option –
satisfice
 Study of fire commanders – didn’t compare
options, took first reasonable plan, did
mental test for problems, took action
 Satisficing
definitely applies to choosing web
pages (no penalty, easier to click than weigh
options)
 Users
often don’t take the time to figure out
how things work (why? May not care)
 Find a way to achieve goal (even if know it’s
not optimal), continue to do it that way

Examples?
 May
have completely wrong views about how
things really work
 Even true of “savvy” users
 Ex: type entire URL into Yahoo search box
every time
 If
your audience is going to act like you’re
designing billboards, then design billboards.
“How to” suggestions come in later chapters
 For now, our goal is to recognize the issue
 With a partner

Review 3-4 websites
At least one site should be geared toward purchasing
something
 For each site, first identify your potential goal (e.g.,
visit a university site, think of yourself as prospective
student, etc.)
 What questions arise as you use the site?
 Do you notice any techniques that are really
effective?



Submit: a list of sites with your critiques on BB.
Be prepared to share with class.