[CLUE-Talk] Books on software usability

[Matt Gushee]

On Sat, Apr 20, 2002 at 02:43:33PM -0600, Sean LeBlanc wrote:
> 
> One recommendation I did get from someone (he actually went on to major in
> CHI for his masters) was a book by Jakob Nielsen (Designing Web Usability:
> The Practice of Simplicity)...but if it's another book with a tone like The Big
> Red Fez, I won't bother. 

No, Nielsen is the real thing. I haven't read his book, but I've been a
regular visitor to his website for a couple of years now. It's 

  www.useit.com

and I suppose a visit there would give you enough of a taste of his
writing to know whether you want to buy the book. I wouldn't necessarily
take everything he says as gospel--just as engineers can over-engineer
things, I think Nielsen sometimes "over-usableizes" things. But he 
doesn't go around taking cheap shots at "engineers" or anybody else
--his articles are full of empirical analyses of what's usable, what
isn't, and why, and tips on how to test usability. And he's not afraid
to mention usability engineers (maybe because he is one?).

-- 
Matt Gushee
Englewood, Colorado, USA
mgushee at havenrock.com
http://www.havenrock.com/