More Formal, more Academic than the First Edition

books:


	• Web Site Usability Handbook (Internet Series) Mark Pearrow Charles River Media, 2006 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The Ultimate Usability Engineering Primer

I have read and re-read this book until the cover is nearly worn out. I originally used it to get up to speed on what web site usability means to me as a User Interface designer and Information Architect. I more recently re-read it to prepare a presentation on Usability Engineering. Unlike many fluffy "design concepts" or "best practices illustrated" manuals, Mark's book goes into detail on "how to" evaluate web sites for potential usability problems. It goes into more depth (and yet is easier to comprehend) than most other texts I have read on the subject of web site / web application usability. After re-reading it for 1.5 hours I was able to put together an effective outline for my usability engineering presentation; the outline contained over 15 3" x 5" note cards distilling the essence of good usability practices into a series of audience understandable bullet points, and was successful in landing me the opportunity I was seeking with a very demanding client. I have also used it in the past to spec out the equipment, roles, staff, and monies needed to put together an effective usability testing center. Regardless of whether your needs be instructional or professional, this is the Usability primer for you!

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very easy read

I loved this book. I am a new psychology PhD looking to get into web usability consulting and this book was perfect for me. I have not read other books on the topic but i can say that I am glad I found this one. It was a very easy read, and i really learned a lot. I like how it takes a psychological viewpoint much of the time. I also really like how he sets you up 100% to be a usability tester. He tells you everything you need to know from A-Z with very little budget. He is also very generous giving away all his secrets and a CD rom that has all sorts of pre-made forms to get you started (powerpoint presentation on usability to show clients, informed consent forms for experimental participants etc...). Now I feel i am ready to read something more technical.

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More Formal, more Academic than the First Edition

The concept of what should go into a web site is constantly changing. Therre was a time not too many years ago when every site had to open with a long Flash sequence just to show you that the developer knew Flash. This soon changed as site developers learned that visitors came there for information and were not usually in the mood to watch a cartoon or type flying across the screen. Now the big sites seem to have gone away from all but a little bit of Flash.

This is just one example of things being done to make the web more usable. This book talks about making web sites more usable. It is not a checklist or simple cookbook of things to do. Instead it is a text on the overall concepts that you can use to put together a study to determine the usability of your site. Indeed it has enough information for you to become an expert working in this area as a consultant or corporate employee.

This is the second edition of this book, the main differences are that it is brought up to date, and is written in a much more serious tone as the whole concept of web usability has become more professional.

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Very easy read

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reviews: page 1, 2

Since the first edition of the Web Site Usability Handbook was published in 2000 there have been numerous changes in the technology world. After the Dot-Com bubble burst, corporate training and education budgets were cut severely and investment in new technology businesses slowed down. But today things have turned around again and behind the scenes at technology companies, usability specialists are still quietly working to make the electronic world easier to manage. This second edition provides the new insights and guidance needed to help make usability an effective and enjoyable journey. Every word from the first edition of this book has been revised, or at least heavily reconsidered; and in many cases, whole sections have been removed or rewritten entirely, while other sections are completely new to this edition. The casual and conversational tone of the fi rst edition has also changed because the current wave of usability specialists embodies a much higher degree of training and knowledge of basic science. The goals of the book, however, have not changed: to train those concerned with usability how to understand it as one piece of the large technology puzzle that is affecting and shaping the human and natural worlds. Usability is an art and a science, but it is also an obligation we have to society. Accessibility and usability form the foundation of human-enabling technology; that is, technology that serves us, rather than technology that we serve. Everything from understanding the human factors of design and how to generate user-centered designs to accessibility, usability metrics, heuristic evaluation, and testing are detailed. Whether you are a usability professional seeking methods for transforming data into change or a web designer seeking guidance for making your sites easier to navigate, you'll find information and practical tools you can apply to your own sites today.

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