The design of the book is also very nice, easy to read and with full color throughout.
Finally, responding to one critique, the authors DO reference outside sources throughout the book. There is also a section at the back which includes additional references.
When reading this book, my first impression was that many worksheets, checklists and forms were included throughout this book: - Client Interview/Web Site Information Worksheet - Goals checklist - Sample of Web survey - Focus Group Preparation Worksheet - Information Architecture Review Checklist - Mockup Checklist (in Envisioning Design) - Mockup Style Review Form (in Envisioning Design) - Writing Guidelines Checklist (in Web page writing) - Form for Brainstorming Icons - Form for Testing Whether an Icon Is Recognizable - Problem Report and Resolution Form (in Pre-Launch) - Problem Summary Report (in Pre-Launch) - Postproduction Checklist - Web Site Final Approval Form - Minimal Maintenance Checklist - A Detailed, General-Purpose Checklist (for Inspection) - User Testing Preparation Worksheet (for Evaluation) - Typical Testing Script (for User Testing) - Consent Form (for User Testing)
These materials are really helpful in conducting actual usability testing to get effective results. And many concepts are also categorized, organized, and explained in a lot of tables.
In engaging Web usability testing, the most important thing is to understand your audiences. This book contains very specific way of putting them into action using scenario approach. The most impressive approach of this book is in enumerating user characteristics as seven user navigation models: 1. Omnipotent model: Because people have perfect knowledge, they donft err in any way. 2. Most rational model: People click interesting links only. 3. Minimum effort model: People behave in ways with least mental efforts. 4. Mental map model: First, people build their mental map according to the Web site structure. They donft use navigation in that site which doesnft fit with their mental map. 5. Repeat fixed ways: People like his own way. They repeat their fixed ways irrespective of their inefficiency. 6. Get nearby information: When handy resources are found nearby, people use them and donft go outside. 7. Cost-performance approach: Best strategy will be determined by this cost-performance approach.
One more important practice to develop a Web site that really works is to consider the gInternational Differencesh such as languages, units, symbols, currencies, date & time, and conventions. These points are correctly addressed in this book to make your Web really workable in the international grounds as well.
This book is a really remarkable work from the point of usability practices. Don't miss this book!
Every stage in the design of a new web site is an opportunity to meet or miss deadlines and budgetary goals. Every stage is an opportunity to boost or undercut the site's usability.
This book tells you how to design usable web sites in a systematic process applicable to almost any business need. You get practical advice on managing the project and incorporating usability principles from the project's inception. This systematic usability process for web design has been developed by the authors and proven again and again in their own successful businesses.
A beacon in a sea of web design titles, this book treats web site usability as a preeminent, practical, and realizable business goal, not a buzzword or abstraction. The book is written for web designers and web project managers seeking a balance between usability goals and business concerns. * Examines the entire spectrum of usability issues, including architecture, navigation, graphical presentation, and page structure.* Explains clearly the steps relevant to incorporating usability into every stage of the web development process, from requirements to tasks analysis, prototyping and mockups, to user testing, revision, and even postlaunch evaluations.* Includes forms, checklists, and practical techniques that you can easily incorporate into your own projects at http://www.mkp.com/uew/.