[CLUE-Talk] Books on software usability

[Sean LeBlanc]

On 04-21 01:21, jbrockmeier at earthlink.net wrote:
> On Sat, 20 Apr 2002, Sean LeBlanc wrote:
> 
> * Lots of good stuff snipped here *
> 
> > So if you have any insights to offer in this realm - books to read, people
> > who are respected in the usability field, please let me know.
> 
> First - the comment about Flash. For claiming that "engineers" (read: geeks)
> like to throw in Flash the author should be beaten, clubbed, whipped, 
> made to swim through a swimming pool filled with iodine and double-edged
> razor blades, shot and then severely punished. I'm not in favor of banning
> books, but that one comes close. I've never met a true geek who liked 
> Flash. If I can't view it in Lynx, it shouldn't be a necessary part of a 
> Web page. If you want to create an animated short in Flash, fine and dandy,
> but don't make me use Flash just so I can find out basic information.

Nice image. :) I've never met anyone that really like Flash,
either...occassionally, I've been pointed to one of those "funny" sites that
have some animation done in Flash, but it's not directly selling something.

> On usability... when I worked for LinuxMall.com we went through several
> site designs and redesigns. The original site was the product of an 
> engineer and it did its job just fine, though it was a little homely.

Odd - I've never worked on a project where a developer built the look and
feel. I guess I didn't get into Web development into 1999, so maybe a sea
change had occurred by then? 

> In subsequent redesigns we suffered input from graphic artists, so-called
> usability experts and a number of hired hands that supposedly knew
> their stuff in this brand-new field of Web usability. We tried to make it
> look clean, we tried to make it look like Amazon without looking like
> we were trying to look like Amazon - in short, pursing usability as a 
> primary goal quickly had the effect of the tail wagging the dog. Instead
> of focusing on improving our product line and sales processes, we
> were jumping through hoops for the investors who didn't know the first
> damn thing about online commerce - but sure as hell had plenty of 
> opinions about what a profitable site should be, even though no one
> could point to a site that was actually making a profit at the time.  

That's why I'm seeking out someone more rooted in overall usability
issues, not some Johnny-come-lately who wanted to cash in on the whole web
thing like Seth comes off as. 

> There are a few guidelines that I would propose: 
> 
> 1. Simple is best. 
> 2. A comprehensive site map is mandatory.
> 3. When all else fails, a user should be able to find any information
> they want or that you want them to have using a search function. 
> 4. Every page should have a "help" link or email address.
> 5. The more complicated the design, the more likely it is that it
> will not work or display properly with one or more browsers. The
> majority of your users might use IE, but your best customer might
> be using Netscape 3.0.1 Gold on Mac OS 7.5.1. Since you cannot 
> possibly test all browsers and all conditions, avoid bells and
> whistles like the plague that they are.

Amen. We currently have too much Javascript for my taste - read: ANY
Javascript.

> My final piece of advice is this: Site overhauls are for Webmasters
> with too much time on their hands and companies with too much money.

What *is* a Webmaster? I'm not being facetious. I've seen the term used to
describe anything from a graphic artist to a J2EE developer.

> If you're not in one or both of those categories, concentrate on 
> directly addressing any/all user complaints instead of chasing the
> grail of usability. Since usability is such an objective and 
> nebulous thing, you can waste a lot of time and money on trying
> to achieve something that isn't well-defined in the first place 
> instead of focusing on more productive and concrete goals. 

I guess we are trying to hit the mark where users say something along the
lines of the old saw: "I don't know art, but I know what I like" -
hopefully, they say something like I don't know web design, but I know I
like this. :)

-- 
Sean LeBlanc:seanleblanc at attbi.com Yahoo:seanleblancathome 
ICQ:138565743 MSN:seanleblancathome AIM:sleblancathome