unstated requirements and useability 1. many ui decisions end up being made by the technical...

Unstated RequirementsUnstated Requirements

And useabilityAnd useability

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Many UI decisionsMany UI decisions

End up being made by the technical End up being made by the technical development/implementation staffdevelopment/implementation staff

RememberRemember– You are not a typical user!You are not a typical user!– It doesn’t matter if you like itIt doesn’t matter if you like it– It matters if the users like itIt matters if the users like it– What is intuitive to you, is not What is intuitive to you, is not

necessarily intuitive to most usersnecessarily intuitive to most users

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Usability testingUsability testing

The only way to tell how usable a The only way to tell how usable a product really is, is to do usability product really is, is to do usability testing!testing!

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““What’s the most What’s the most important thing I important thing I

should do if I want should do if I want to make sure my to make sure my web site is easy web site is easy

to use?”to use?”

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It is notIt is not

““Nothing important should ever be Nothing important should ever be more than two clicks away.”more than two clicks away.”

““Speak the user’s language.”Speak the user’s language.” ““Be consistent.”Be consistent.”

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Don’t make me think.Don’t make me think.

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Web pages should be self-Web pages should be self-evidentevident

We should be able to “get it”We should be able to “get it”– What it isWhat it is– How to use itHow to use it

Without expending any effort Without expending any effort thinking about it. thinking about it.

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Things that make us thinkThings that make us think

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““If you point the cursor at it, it’ll If you point the cursor at it, it’ll change from an arrow to a change from an arrow to a pointing hand. What’s the big pointing hand. What’s the big deal?”deal?”

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Every question mark adds to Every question mark adds to our cognitive workload.our cognitive workload.

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As a rule, people don’t like to As a rule, people don’t like to puzzle over how to use puzzle over how to use

things.things.

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The most important principle of The most important principle of web design is to work toward web design is to work toward eliminating question marks.eliminating question marks.

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However, you cannot make However, you cannot make everything everything self-evidentself-evident. .

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However, you cannot make However, you cannot make everything everything self-evidentself-evident. .

Sometimes you need to settle for Sometimes you need to settle for self-explanatoryself-explanatory..

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Most people are going to Most people are going to spend less spend less timetime looking at the pages we design looking at the pages we design than we think.than we think.

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So why then?So why then?

Most people are going to Most people are going to spend less spend less timetime looking at the pages we design looking at the pages we design than we think.than we think.

If web pages are going to be If web pages are going to be effective, they have to work most of effective, they have to work most of their their magic at a glancemagic at a glance..

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We’re thinking: “Let’s write We’re thinking: “Let’s write some ‘great literature’ (or at some ‘great literature’ (or at least ‘product brochure’)”least ‘product brochure’)”

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The user’s reality is much closer to: The user’s reality is much closer to: “billboard going by at 60 miles an “billboard going by at 60 miles an hour.”hour.”

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Fact of LifeFact of Life

We don’t read pages; we scan them.We don’t read pages; we scan them.– We’re usually in a hurryWe’re usually in a hurry– We don’t We don’t needneed to read everything. to read everything.– We’re good at it.We’re good at it.

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What one user seesWhat one user sees

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What another user What another user seessees

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Fact of lifeFact of life

We don’t make optimal choices. We We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice.satisfice.

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Fact of lifeFact of life

We don’t make optimal choices. We We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice.satisfice.– We don’t choose the best option – we We don’t choose the best option – we

choose the first reasonable option.choose the first reasonable option.– As soon as we find a link that seems like As soon as we find a link that seems like

it might lead where we want, we click it.it might lead where we want, we click it.

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Why don’t web users look for the best Why don’t web users look for the best choice?choice?

We’re usually in a hurryWe’re usually in a hurry There’s not much of a penalty for guessing There’s not much of a penalty for guessing

wrongwrong Weighing options may not improve our Weighing options may not improve our

chanceschances Guessing is more funGuessing is more fun

– Less workLess work– If you’re right it’s fasterIf you’re right it’s faster– Introduces an element of chance - serendipityIntroduces an element of chance - serendipity

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Fact of lifeFact of life

We don’t figure out how things work. We don’t figure out how things work. We muddle through ( form a mental We muddle through ( form a mental model).model).

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Many people cannot tell you the difference between Google, a browser, and the internet

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If people manage to muddle If people manage to muddle through…through…

……does it really matter whether they get does it really matter whether they get it?it?– Muddling tends to be inefficient and error-proneMuddling tends to be inefficient and error-prone– If they get it:If they get it:

Better chance they’ll find what they’re looking for.Better chance they’ll find what they’re looking for. Understand the full range of what your site has to offerUnderstand the full range of what your site has to offer You have a better chance of steering them where you You have a better chance of steering them where you

want them to gowant them to go They’ll feel smarter and more in controlThey’ll feel smarter and more in control

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What’s a girl to do?What’s a girl to do?

If your audience is going to act like If your audience is going to act like you’re designing billboards, then you’re designing billboards, then design great billboards.design great billboards.

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Bottom lineBottom line

Don’t make me thinkDon’t make me think Realize that I will satisfice and muddle Realize that I will satisfice and muddle

throughthrough Don’t offer me a fixed set of options. Don’t offer me a fixed set of options.

Include an “other” option to avoid Include an “other” option to avoid forcing me to do it “your way”forcing me to do it “your way”– Microwave, cell phone, netflix cd that was Microwave, cell phone, netflix cd that was

returned to them instead of delivered to mereturned to them instead of delivered to me– Don’t assume you know all the choicesDon’t assume you know all the choices

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Bottom lineBottom line

Don’t make me do work you can doDon’t make me do work you can do– Pre-populate fieldsPre-populate fields

Don’t offer me meaningless choicesDon’t offer me meaningless choices Don’t make me confirm happy path Don’t make me confirm happy path

choices – make it easy to back out choices – make it easy to back out

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CreditsCredits

Don't Make Me Think! A Common Don't Make Me Think! A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve KrugSteve Krug

http://www.slideshare.net/amitnm/dont-make-me-think-by-steve-krug-a-book-summary

http://users.drew.edu/sbradsha/FromIPodsToMySpace/05-DontMakeMeThink.ppt 5050