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Ask Slashdot: Good, Relevant Usability Book?

Posted by timothy on from the how-does-this-fitt? dept.

First time accepted submitter osman84 writes "I've been developing web/mobile apps for some time, and have managed to build up some decent experience about usability. However, as I'm growing a team of developers now, I've noticed that most of the young ones have a very poor sense of usability. Unfortunately, since I was never really taught usability as science, I'm having trouble teaching them to develop usable apps. Are there any good books that make a good read for general usability guidelines for web/mobile apps? I have a couple from my college days, but I'd like something more recent, written in the era of mobile apps, etc."

13 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. Don't Make Me Think by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Don't Make Me Think

    http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/0321344758

    1. Re:Don't Make Me Think by vgerclover · · Score: 3, Insightful

      As others have already pointed out, Don't Make Me Think is great and to the point, but I'd like to recommend to you The Design of Everyday Things, which doesn't talk specifically about computer user interfaces, but does provide useful advice and gets you into the necessary mindset for the task. Good UI design isn't something you can just get from a book, but a book can help you get you thinking.
      Also, look at horrible interfaces to learn what not to do.

    2. Re:Don't Make Me Think by stephanruby · · Score: 2

      Aside from buying them good books, which is a good idea, I'd suggest:

      1. That for the mobile part, that you make sure they own and actually personally use the actual phone os they're developing for. Buy them a phone/tablet if you have to, and make sure that they actually use that phone/tablet personally for two to three weeks (instead of their normal phone) before they even get started on any design.

      For instance, don't ask an iPhone owner to develop the interface for an app on an Android phone. There are so many fundamental differences in basic functionality and UI design between iOS and Android that go well beyond the one button vs. four button difference that this could prove critical in many ways.

      And the same goes when you're evaluating potential customers, make sure that they've owned and actually personally used the phone os they're targeting for a while, before you accept any spec-work from them. And if your app needs to run on low end phones as well, make sure that the phone you buy them is a low end phone to begin with, not an high end one.

      2. Make sure your developers and designers are also actively involved in initial user-testing, even if it's just informal testing, and later involved in actual customer service support (both on the phone and email). As a developer, doing actual customer support can be very enjoyable since you actually have the power to change things for the user.

      3. Have your designers and developers write UI critiques of other apps on the platforms you're targeting. That's also a good way for making them develop an eye for that kind of thing. You could also start an internal UI discussion group on good UI patterns, or better yet, start an actual user group/meetup on that topic at your company and invite/allow outside people to participate.

  2. Sure... by msauve · · Score: 2

    anything by Don Norman.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  3. I make everyone on my team read... by UconnGuy · · Score: 3, Informative

    Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug before they touch any UI's. I also like Design with the Mind in Mind by Jeff Johnson. This one is a little more advanced at how the mind works though.

  4. And your asking slashdot? by jellomizer · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Slashdot the home of the Linux developers.

    I doubt that you will find a good book on general usability. You probably should follow Apples User Interface guidelines, or Windows user interface guidelines.

    And hound on your new developers to get it to look and work right.
    New developers often stick at usability because of many reasons.

    1. They want to reinvent the wheel into something cooler and better. This often creates relearning the same lessons on good UI over the years.

    2. They don't know how. College usually offers little in User Interface and UI in training. They will try to implement what is easiest.

    3. Diverse set of opinions. If you are the Boss make sure they follow your standard otherwise they will make their own.

    4. Have the developers listen to the end users. Bring them in on those call and let them sweat it out as the end user calls them an idiot for making the process so convoluted.

    I really doubt that giving them a book will help much.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:And your asking slashdot? by leenks · · Score: 2

      Developers naturally want to build interfaces that are almost a one-to-one mapping to their (flexible?) API. This isn't necessarily what users expect.

      IMO you can only build an appropriate user interface for a particular problem if you are an expert in that field yourself - the best advice I've been given is to learn the trade of your users first, then try and build the UI you would want as someone working in that trade.

  5. 6 pack design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    (warning, I have a migraine so this isn't meant to sound lucid)

    -drink a 6 pack of beers
    -see if whatever you've designed up still makes sense to you
    -write down your impressions (or just record them)
    -sober up
    -make appropriate changes
    -rinse, repeat

  6. Starting-point by frisket · · Score: 2
    Check out the Usability Professionals Association for some excellent resources.

    I work in a different area of usability, so I'm not up to speed on books specifically about app usability, but the principles in recent books will still largely apply. Have a look at About Face 2.0 to get started. User-Centred Design (UCD) is the current way of thinking: there is some good background in Contextual Design. There are of course, lots more...

    1. Re:Starting-point by plover · · Score: 2

      For an online resource, the Usability Body of Knowledge can be found here: http://www.usabilitybok.org/

      Usability is just like any other software quality attribute. It can and should be tested. I've used usability labs quite a few times in the past 20 years, and they've always been of great value. I strongly recommend them, especially for a product that will go in front of random people. Our company has a permanent lab where they will test anything from a software application to operation instructions for a forklift.

      The key is to have the designers themselves observe how ordinary people use their product. You can stuff all the books that fit into your brain, you can second guess what you think your mom wants to see, but nothing compares to seeing regular people actually try to use it. They should watch the subject get angry as they repeatedly click a button that gives no feedback that it did something. They should see the puzzlement in their faces as they try to figure out which of the eighteen choices will do what they want. They should see them wince at the awful color choices or tiny fonts, or ignore the blinking box labeled "click me" because they thought it looked like a web advertisement.

      A valid experiment requires a good facilitator who understands usability, who can help you set up the test environment for optimum observation, and can select fair test subjects. He or she will keep you from unintentionally introducing bias. They can serve to intervene, when required. And they can teach you how to observe the subjects, while leaving the interpretation up to you.

      I suspect you will learn more from running one valid experiment than you will from any book.

      --
      John
  7. Basic advice by Caerdwyn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You don't need a book for some of the most basic, important advice for usability... but a large number of developers seem to never have heard it.

    Ready?

    Do not look upon your users/customers with contempt.

    This is a serious, widespread issue; just read the comments that techies have about people who are not themselves on places like ohhhh, say, Slashdot. Without sympathy for your customers, without a sense of humility in yourself, without the realization that people can be worthwhile, talented, productive and smart (yes, even smarter than YOU) yet not have the time or training or inclination to recompile their own Linux kernel or root their phone, you're going to produce awful user interfaces and workflows. You're going to amass a terrible reputation for bad customer support. You're going to have buggy software because you spend more time blaming the user than wondering if maybe your code isn't perfect.

    And then you'll blame anyone except yourself.

    All of the studies about icon size, color schemes, human motion studies, and cognitive science will be meaningless if you believe you need it "just because my customers are idiots".

    --
    Everybody gets what the majority deserves.
    1. Re:Basic advice by foniksonik · · Score: 2

      When it comes to learning a new UI, most people have the attention span of a toddler. They are busy taking calls, going to meetings, reading reports, running errands and planning vacations. They don't want to spend the day re-learning how to do the annoying bits of their job (using the computer to enter data or access data).

      --
      A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
  8. A book isn't enough by uniquename72 · · Score: 2

    I'm a usability specialist surrounded by people (the actual decision-makers) who THINK they know all they need to know about design, even though none have actually every designed much of anything. My advice is this: Make all your people sit down and watch some usability testing videos. You can find some online, or maybe (hopefully) there are already some floating around where you work.

    Make an event out of it -- bring in some popcorn and watch them together. There will be much laughter and fun-poking, but in the end they should get the point: NO ONE is really a usability expert. Even having done testing for the past 10 years and having a pretty good instinct for what will work and what won't, I learn EVERY SINGLE TIME I test someone. The things people do -- even smart, educated, computer-savvy people -- will amaze you and your employees.

    Politically, having some of my coworkers watch some of my testing with real users is the smartest thing I ever did. It didn't fix all my usability-related problems, but it was a huge help.