''Don't Make Me Think'' is a book by Steve Krug about

human–computer interaction Human–computer interaction (HCI) is the process through which people operate and engage with computer systems. Research in HCI covers the design and the use of computer technology, which focuses on the interfaces between people (users) and comp ...

and

web usability Web usability of a website consists of broad goals of usability, presentation of information, choices made in a clear and concise way, a lack of ambiguity and the placement of important items in appropriate areas as well as ensuring that the cont ...

. The book's premise is that a good

software Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...

program or web site should let users accomplish their intended tasks as easily and directly as possible. Krug points out that people are good at

satisficing Satisficing is a decision-making strategy or cognitive heuristic that entails searching through the available alternatives until an acceptability threshold is met, without necessarily maximizing any specific objective. The term ''satisficing'', a ...

, or taking the first available solution to their problem, so design should take advantage of this. He frequently cites

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...

as an example of a well-designed web site that manages to allow high-quality interaction, even though the web site gets bigger and more complex every day. The book is intended to exemplify brevity and focus. The goal, according to the book's introduction, was to make a text that could be read by an executive on a two-hour airplane flight. Originally published in 2000, the book was revised in 2005, and again 2013 to add a section about mobile UX, and has sold more than 700,000 copies. In 2010, the author published a sequel, ''Rocket Surgery Made Easy'', which explains how anyone working on a web site, mobile app, or desktop software can do their own usability testing to ensure that what they're building will be usable. The book has been referenced in college courses and online courses on usability.

References

External links

Book description on author's website
www.sensible.com Human–computer interaction 2000 non-fiction books {{compu-book-stub