ux book – UX Design Mastery

UX Book Review: Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction (5 practical takeaways)

This series aims at quickly summarizing UX books you know of and some you may not have read. We will outline 5 main takeaways from each book, how long it takes to read the book and share balanced reviews on the book. Today’s UX book is one of my favourite foundational book Yvonne Rogers’ Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction. If you find the insights valuable then you can consider buying the book and diving deeper into its material.

Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction – Book Summary

Interaction Design: Beyond Human Computer Interaction is a delightful introduction to and overview of interaction design (IxD) and human computer interaction (HCI). Using real world examples, the authors illustrate how to design effective, useful, usable, and delightful interactive technology experiences. Whether you are a newcomer to IxD and HCI, or an experienced researcher/practitioner looking for a refresher, this volume is your go-to reference text.

Book Reading Time: 20 Hours
Amazon Rating: 4.6 / 5

About the authors

Yvonne Rogers is the Director of the Interaction Centre at University College London as well as a Professor of Interaction Design. Helen Sharp is Professor of Software Engineering at the Open University, UK. Jennifer Preece is Professor and Dean Emerita in the College of Information, Maryland’s iSchool – at the University of Maryland.

5 Main takeaways from Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction

1. Understand User Needs and Contexts

A core principle of interaction design is to thoroughly understand the needs, behaviors, and contexts of the users for whom you are designing.

Implementation:

User Research: Conduct various user research methods, such as interviews, surveys, and ethnographic studies, to gather detailed insights about users.
Personas and Scenarios: Create personas and scenarios that represent different user types and their interactions with the system. This helps in visualizing and understanding user needs and contexts.
Contextual Inquiry: Observe users in their natural environments to see how they interact with current systems and identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.

2. Iterative Design Process

Iterative design involves continually refining and improving the design based on user feedback and testing.

Implementation:

Prototyping: Develop low-fidelity prototypes (e.g., sketches, wireframes) and high-fidelity prototypes (e.g., interactive digital models) to test design ideas early and often.
User Testing: Conduct usability testing sessions with actual users to gather feedback on the prototypes. Identify usability issues and areas for improvement.
Refinement: Use the insights from user testing to refine and iterate on the design. Repeat the process to ensure the final product meets user needs effectively.

3. Design Principles and Guidelines

The book emphasizes the importance of adhering to established design principles and guidelines to create effective and user-friendly interfaces.

Implementation:

Visibility: Ensure that important functions and information are easily visible and accessible to users.
Feedback: Provide immediate and clear feedback to users’ actions to help them understand the system’s responses.
Consistency: Maintain consistency in design elements, terminology, and behaviors across the interface to avoid confusion.
Error Prevention and Recovery: Design to prevent errors wherever possible, and provide easy ways for users to recover from mistakes when they occur.

4. Accessibility and Inclusive Design

Creating accessible and inclusive designs ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can effectively use the product.

Implementation:

Accessibility Standards: Follow accessibility standards and guidelines, such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), to make your designs inclusive.
User Diversity: Consider the diverse needs and abilities of users when designing interfaces. Conduct accessibility testing with users who have different disabilities.
Assistive Technologies: Ensure that your designs are compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers, voice recognition software, and alternative input devices.

5. Aesthetic and Emotional Design

Beyond functionality, the book highlights the importance of aesthetic and emotional aspects of design in creating positive user experiences.

Implementation:

Visual Design: Pay attention to visual design elements such as color, typography, layout, and imagery to create aesthetically pleasing interfaces.
Emotional Engagement: Design interactions that evoke positive emotions and engagement. Consider how the interface makes users feel and strive to create delightful experiences.
Brand Integration: Ensure that the design reflects the brand’s identity and values, providing a cohesive experience across all touchpoints.

Balanced Reviews on Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It has lots of great examples in Internation Design, read the whole thing and even learnt things about Microsoft, where I work, which I didn’t know about. I’m studying my masters at Oxford and would recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a course in HCI/HCD or Interaction Design.” – Salman

“Having spent most of my working career faced with and placed in complex information technology situations I see this book as a resource to be referenced or part of an academic learning programme. This is no doubt on the list of required reading for related University Studies. This book in its 5th edition is well-indexed and chaptered but is still a pain to navigate but why? It’s packed with illustrations and is a hefty weighty paperback book with its 636 pages. I’m retired now but maybe I’ll feel inspired again to do some coding, write some apps and reference this book which is now part of my library.” – Stefan

“I work on a web app without a dedicated UX resource, so I often find myself making UX and interaction design decisions. This book is a newer edition of the one that I read as part of an interaction design module at the Open University in 2016 and the update is welcome, even if the principles are largely the same. The content on affordances, visibility, feedback and so on are a good summary of concepts that you will encounter frequently in user facing software design field, whether you’re a ux designer, developer, or product owner trying to make a usable interface. It is textbooklike and somewhat dry, but I can’t think of another volume that has as much information and research as this one, presented in such a convenient format. It’s unlikely that all the information will be relevant to you (there’s absolutely no chance we’ll ever have a usability lab at my work, for instance) but chances are, there will be something that will help you create a better product.” – Themistocles

“This is a very comprehensive textbook. The subjects the book covers are the process of interaction design, conceptualizing interaction, cognitive aspects, social interaction, emotional interaction, interfaces, data gathering, data analysis, data at scale, discovering requirements, design, prototyping and construction, interaction design in practice, introducing evaluation, and evaluation studies. The book is huge but the writing style makes it user-friendly. The book is also very well laid out with the text broken up into different sections so it is not too intimidating. Each chapter finishes with a summary, an activity you can carry out and suggestions for further reading. There is an enormous list of references at the end of the book so this is an ideal introductory text as it covers the subject well and gives you suggestions of where to look for more in-depth information.” – Amazon reviewer

UX Book Review: Articulating Design Decisions (5 practical takeaways)

This series aims at quickly summarizing UX books you know of and some you may not have read. We will outline 5 main takeaways from each book, how long it takes to read the book and share balanced reviews on the book. Today’s UX book is Tom Greever’s Articulating Design Decisions,Communicate with Stakeholders, Keep Your Sanity, and Deliver the Best User Experience. If you find the insights valuable then you can consider buying the book and diving deeper into its material.

Articulating Design Decisions – Quick Summary

The purpose of this book is to help designers become better communicators—to expertly explain their design decisions to the people who have influence over their project. Articulating design decisions is about creating an environment in which stakeholders can clearly see the expertise and thought process of the designers so that they want to support them. It’s about creating trust, demonstrating effectiveness, and doing so in a way that’s compelling and convincing.This practical guide focuses on principles, tactics, and actionable methods for presenting your designs.

Book Reading Time: 6.6 Hours
Amazon Rating: 4.7 / 5

About the author

Tom Greever has been designing interfaces and leading design teams for 20 years. His experience as a UX designer, executive design leader, and consultant has given him a broad perspective on how better communication yields great design. He has coached and mentored teams on design practices and communication at both large enterprises and small start-ups all over the world.

5 Main takeaways from Articulating Design Decisions

1. Frame Your Design Decisions in Context

Greever emphasizes the importance of framing design decisions within the context of business goals, user needs, and technical constraints.

Implementation:

Understand the Business Goals: Always align your design decisions with the overarching business objectives. Show how your design supports these goals.
Empathize with Users: Clearly explain how your design choices meet user needs and improve their experience. Use user research and personas to back up your points.
Acknowledge Constraints: Be upfront about technical limitations and other constraints that influence your design. This shows a realistic understanding of the project environment.

2. Use the Language of Your Audience

Effective communication involves using language that resonates with your audience, whether they are executives, developers, or other stakeholders.

Implementation:

Tailor Your Message: Adapt your language and level of detail based on who you are speaking to. For executives, focus on high-level business impacts; for developers, delve into technical specifics.
Avoid Jargon: Use clear and simple language to ensure everyone understands your points. Avoid design jargon that might confuse non-designers.
Visual Aids: Use visuals like sketches, wireframes, and prototypes to illustrate your points. Visuals can help bridge communication gaps and make abstract concepts more concrete.

3. Tell a Compelling Story

The book advocates for storytelling as a powerful tool to convey design decisions. Stories make your design rationale more relatable and memorable.

Implementation:

Create User Scenarios: Develop narratives that show how users interact with your design. Highlight the problems users face and how your design solves them.
Highlight Key Moments: Focus on critical interactions and decision points in the user journey. Use these moments to illustrate the value of your design.
Engage Emotionally: Use emotional appeal to connect with your audience. Explain how your design improves the user experience in a way that stakeholders can empathize with.

4. Anticipate Objections and Prepare Responses

Greever suggests anticipating potential objections and preparing well-thought-out responses to address stakeholder concerns.

Implementation:

Identify Common Objections: Think about the typical concerns stakeholders might have, such as cost, feasibility, or user impact.
Prepare Evidence: Gather data, user feedback, and examples to support your design decisions. Use this evidence to counter objections effectively.
Practice Your Responses: Rehearse your responses to common objections. Being prepared helps you remain calm and confident during discussions.

5. Build Consensus Through Collaboration

Building consensus among stakeholders is crucial for successful design implementation. Greever emphasizes the need for collaboration and ongoing communication.

Implementation:

Engage Stakeholders Early: Involve stakeholders in the design process from the beginning. Regular updates and feedback sessions can help align everyone’s expectations.
Facilitate Workshops: Use workshops and collaborative sessions to gather input, discuss ideas, and reach a consensus. Interactive sessions can help stakeholders feel more invested in the design.
Follow Up: After presenting your design decisions, follow up with stakeholders to address any lingering concerns and keep the communication channels open.

Balanced Reviews on Articulating Design Decisions

“There’s definitely a lot of useful information here that I’ll be sure to implement in future.
If you are new to the design industry especially, this is an indispensable read/listen. My main criticism is that, if you already have some experience, and you are generally good at your job, much of this stuff is already second-nature to you. There’s also a lot of extra padding and waffle — for example, a section on how to get the best technical setup for a video call.
All that said, there’s nothing wrong with brushing up on a few reminders, and there are certainly plenty of good hints and nuggets to be found, so I would still recommend it.” – Amazon Review

“I was always told that my skill for communicating with stakeholders was a valuable soft skill that I should teach to others. Typically a soft skill is something that is developed over time and dependent on personality. Some say “a skill you can’t teach”. However, I was asked to teach those skills to those that I supervise. I struggled to put the thoughts together in the best way to teach something that came as second nature to myself. This book helps to organize the concepts behind all of the skills that make up the larger soft skill that is in such demand. It provides tools and structure for those trying to learn this skill to be able to measure their success throughout the development. Making it a valuable book for the new designer. I learned a lot of these concepts working with executives in my career, where most newer designers wouldn’t have had that opportunity. So get the book! Mark it up, keep it as a reference, use the tools and you will soon find your habits second nature. You will have more success with your stakeholders as a result.” – M Black

“As a product designer, I constantly have to present work, receive feedback and discuss several topics with different stakeholders. It can be a very tough and draining job sometimes. I was looking for new practices/frameworks to make my life easier. I am very grateful that I found this book, it is very easy to read and has tons of useful advice and best practices. I could not recommend it highly enough.” – Daniela Santos

“As someone who has walked the path of design leadership, this book became a beacon of guidance during my early career days. The author’s insights on providing feedback, collaborating with designers, and managing internal stakeholders struck a chord with me. What sets this book apart is its ability to translate abstract leadership concepts into actionable strategies. It’s not just a theoretical treatise on design leadership; it’s a practical handbook for design leaders.

One of the book’s most outstanding qualities is its advice on delivering feedback. Constructive criticism can be a tricky terrain to navigate, especially in the creative field, but this book equips you with the tools to do so effectively. Whether you’re a seasoned design leader or someone in search of design leadership mentorship, you’ll find invaluable takeaways here.

What truly sets this book apart is its immediacy. The advice it imparts is not buried in academic jargon or management theory but is readily applicable to real-world scenarios. I’ve often found myself implementing its principles in my day-to-day work, and the results have been remarkable. The book’s practicality is one of its greatest strengths.” – Deesha Misra

UX Book Review: Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design- Bill Buxton (5 practical takeaways)

This series aims at quickly summarizing UX books you know of and some you may not have read. We will outline 5 main takeaways from each book, how long it takes to read the book and share balanced reviews on the book. Today’s UX book is Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design by Bill Buxton. If you find the insights valuable then you can consider diving deeper into its material.

Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design – Quick Summary
This is a comprehensive guide to incorporating sketching into the design process. Buxton’s insights help designers understand the value of sketching as a tool for creativity, exploration, and communication. The book encourages an iterative, user-centered approach to design, where sketching plays a central role in developing and refining ideas.

Book Reading Time: 12.3 Hours
Amazon Rating: 4.3 / 5

About the author

As a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, he had a 30-year involvement in research, design, and commentary around human aspects of technology. He was a researcher at Xerox PARC, and Chief Scientist of Alias Research and SGI Inc. He has been awarded three honorary doctorates, is co-recipient of an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement, received an ACM/SIGCHI Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a Fellow of the ACM. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto and Distinguished Professor of Industrial Design at the Technical University Eindhoven.

1. Embrace Sketching as a Core Design Activity

Sketching is not just about drawing; it’s a fundamental part of the design thinking process that fosters ideation, exploration, and communication. Implementation: Incorporate sketching early and throughout the design process. Use it to quickly visualize and iterate on ideas without the constraints of high-fidelity tools. Encourage team members to sketch their concepts and share them for collaborative brainstorming sessions.

2. Use Multiple Representations

Different stages of the design process benefit from different levels of fidelity and forms of representation, from rough sketches to detailed prototypes. Implementation: Use a variety of representations such as hand-drawn sketches, wireframes, storyboards, and interactive prototypes. This approach allows you to explore different aspects of the design, get feedback at various levels of detail, and gradually refine your concepts.

3. Iterate Rapidly and Often

Design is an iterative process where each version of a sketch or prototype should elicit feedback and insights that inform subsequent iterations. Implementation: Adopt an iterative approach by creating quick, low-fidelity sketches and prototypes, testing them with users and stakeholders, and refining them based on feedback. This cycle should be repeated often to ensure the design evolves and improves continuously.

4. Leverage Storytelling and Scenarios

Creating scenarios and narratives helps to understand and communicate how users will interact with the product in real-world contexts. Implementation: Develop detailed user scenarios and stories that illustrate the user’s journey and interactions with the product. Use these narratives to uncover user needs, pain points, and opportunities for enhancement. Storytelling can also make your design concepts more relatable and understandable to stakeholders.

5. Foster Collaboration and Communication

Effective design requires collaboration and clear communication within the design team and with other stakeholders. Implementation: Create an open and collaborative design environment where team members feel encouraged to share ideas and provide feedback. Use sketches and other visual tools to facilitate discussions and ensure everyone has a shared understanding of the design direction. Regularly conduct critique sessions and workshops to gather diverse perspectives and improve the design.

Balanced Reviews on this book

“This book is not about drawing technique. It is about how imagining future products and experieces through thnking and visualizing and inviting and so on with a variety of tools including the use of drawing. The author’s academic tone is a bit laborious. However, there are great insights and articulation within the pages that make it well worth reading. A great inspiration for me.
He desperately needs an editor to cut the text to 50%. And the layout is great and the images are great, but somebody needs to get the image not Photoshop for basic color and contrast fixes.
A must read for collaborative (and rapid) product conceptualization for non-artists and artist alike.”- Amazon review

“As an experienced professional in systems development, I found this book pretty spot on. While there is some discussion on techniques and methods, I found the real point of this book was the value of doing design before building. That’s something we in the IT world could learn from our construction buddies. No one would think of building elaborate buildings without architects (as well as other design professionals) doing the design before ground is broken (with the exception of a very few notable cases). Yet as devs we tend to do it more often than not. As someone stronger in the design side rather than coding, I find myself wishing we did more of it.The book was really more of a treatise of why we need it than how, which is probably more important for many of us.
The writing itself was a bit meandering, and some of the examples were strained and a bit longer than the point it was trying get across.” – Amazon review

“This book provides a very good foundation for all types of designers. The author Bill Buxton is a researcher at Microsoft, with a background in human-computer interactions in disciplines including art, music and film. Although many of the examples are taken from the world of software design, those in other disciplines will undoubtedly recognize the universal principles of good design that can be applied to their own work. Furthermore, as more and more people spend time on computers, smart phones, and e-book readers, it is useful for all design professionals to understand a bit about software design and the ways in which users interact with those increasingly ubiquitous devices. Increasingly, everything from a poster to a building is designed to create an experience, rather than merely serve its functional purpose. Therefore, this book will be useful to anyone in a design-related field, including product designers, graphic designers, architects, interior designers, and film makers, as well as software and HCI designers. Drawings, diagrams, photographs, screen shots, and an accompanying website illustrate the text. Recommended for any design collection.”- Amazon review

“I am an interaction designer for almost 10 years, and I am often disappointed with books on this subject. They are all too basic and tell you the obvious. They don’t add much, except validating what you already know and make you feel good about what you do. This book was different. It gave me a different perspective. It pushed me in exploring alternatives, trying different techniques, and don’t be intimidated by starting from the old paper-and-pencil sketches. I feel that this was one of the few books that I read which effectively help improving my work.” – Amazon review

UX Book Review: Lean UX, Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience – Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden (5 practical takeaways)

This series aims at quickly summarizing UX books you know of and some you may not have read. We will outline 5 main practical takeaways from each book that you can use in your job, how long it takes to read the book and share balanced reviews on the book. Today’s UX book is Lean UX:Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden.

Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience – Quick Summary

Inspired by Lean and Agile development theories, Lean UX lets you focus on the actual experience being designed, rather than deliverables. This book shows you how to collaborate closely with other members of the product team, and gather feedback early and often. You’ll learn how to drive the design in short, iterative cycles to assess what works best for the business and the user.

Book Reading Time: 4.1 Hours
Amazon Rating: 4.3 / 5

About the author
Jeff Gothelf is a designer & Agile practitioner. He is a leading voice on the topics of Agile UX & Lean UX and a highly sought-after international speaker. He is currently a Managing Director in Neo’s New York City office. Previously, Jeff has led teams at TheLadders, Publicis Modem, WebTrends, Fidelity, & AOL.

5 Main takeaways from Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience

Integrate UX Design into Agile Development:
- Description: Lean UX advocates for embedding UX design deeply into the Agile development process. This involves frequent and ongoing collaboration between designers, developers, and product managers throughout the project lifecycle.
- Implementation: Ensure that UX designers are part of the Agile team, participating in all stages of planning, development, and iteration. Regularly hold collaborative sessions, such as design studios or critique sessions, to integrate feedback and ideas continuously.
Focus on Hypothesis-Driven Design:
- Description: Shift from delivering design artifacts to solving user problems by testing hypotheses. Formulate hypotheses about user behavior and validate them through experimentation.
- Implementation: Start with clear problem statements and hypotheses. Use rapid prototyping and user testing to validate assumptions. For example, if you hypothesize that a new feature will improve user engagement, prototype it quickly and test it with a subset of users to gather feedback.
Prioritize Continuous Learning and Adaptation:
- Description: Lean UX emphasizes a cycle of continuous learning, where user feedback is constantly integrated into the design process to inform ongoing improvements.
- Implementation: Implement regular usability tests and user interviews to gather insights. Use this data to iterate on designs frequently. For example, set up a feedback loop where user insights from each sprint inform the priorities and design adjustments in the next sprint.
Create Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for Testing:
- Description: Use MVPs to test ideas with minimal investment, focusing on delivering just enough functionality to validate the core assumptions.
- Implementation: Develop MVPs to test key features and gather user feedback before full-scale development. For instance, if you’re introducing a new user interface, create a simplified version that users can interact with to gather initial reactions and identify major issues.
Promote Collaborative Decision-Making:
- Description: Lean UX stresses the importance of shared understanding and decision-making within the team. By involving all team members in the UX process, you can leverage diverse perspectives and expertise.
- Implementation: Facilitate workshops and design sprints that include all relevant stakeholders. Encourage open communication and collective problem-solving. For example, during a design sprint, involve developers, product managers, and marketers to brainstorm and refine ideas together.

Balanced Reviews on this book

“Loved it. Really straightforward easy to understand with great real-life examples and photos of how other companies, including some huge ones like PayPal, meetup.com, and Dropbox, implemented lean ux and the growing pains. Takes a lot of pressure off of designers and creates a more team-effort feel which is both scary (as I am a designer used to working in my little cave) and exciting. I rated 4 stars and not 5 because I would have liked some more detailed how-to’s for the entire process, and not just the concepts. Like how to include everyone throughout while battling with their time and availability for their primary jobs, how to make executive decisions when needed without being a hero or breaking the process. When changes are too small to have meetings and collaboration over, etc. all these little uncertainties I have make it scary but he mentions in most of his real-life stories that perfecting the lean us process was also a process and isn’t something that had to be perfectly executed the first time. I will be implementing this next month across the company and cities and am excited and a little sweaty to do it. 🙂 this book makes me feel more prepared… But I’ll still need to carry extra deodorant as I get started. :)” – Amazon reviewer

“Even though I am not directly involved in the UX world, most of our projects have at least one or more UX resources involved. Being a Scrum person in terms of execution, I’ve always struggled with how to best incorporate those UXers into the mix. This book not only lays out a much “leaner” approach than the typical User Centered Design (UCD) process, but gives real world examples on what this looks like in terms of a project setting. Although I did find the chapter of integrating LeanUX + Scrum lacking (hence the 4 instead of 5 stars), the book itself was a wealth of knowledge for all readers (not just those involved in UX). It opened my eyes to cross functional teams where the UX resource will become more of a facilitator and the developers could easily assist with being research assistants, scribes, and partnering with the UXers.
It has spawned my interest in how I can better assist in reducing documentation and fixating on the end product.”- Amazon reviewer

“I really enjoyed some of the concepts put forward in this book. It started strong and just when I thought we were getting into the real meat of the details, it turned out we were wrapping up. Would have loved some more detailed examples of applications and case studies, most examples were cursory and without detailed evidence. We got the description, but not the “why”. Most of my highlighting was in the first half of the book…” – Amazon reviewer

“I found this to be an okay book on the design process. It is primarily about software design, but some of the practices could be useful with other products as well. While the ideas presented are nothing new to anyone directly involved with customers or product design, it is still a good book to think about the process of design in an organization. It is not a book about how to do good design on any specific product, but rather on how to implement a specific “brand” of design process. For those who need to have a formal process in place, this one should work reasonably well. My biggest problem with it was the “brandedness” of the whole thing. There is a bit of “infomercial” style marketing flavor to the whole thing, and it seemed just a bit too much like a marketing piece itself (you know, for the “get my latest book” part of a business seminar).

There are lost of good ideas in here, but you will have to wade through a certain amount of what I call “capitalization disease” – using a lot of capitalized acronyms, brands, etc. – like the New Age people who capitalize words like “Cosmic” and “Energy” all the time to make a (supposedly) greater impact. Not the worst book on design, but more focused on setting up a design process than truly explaining how to understand the User Experience.” – Amazon reviewer

“The book is well organized and an easy read. I would say even if you are not focused on say Lean startup techniques, yet interested in removing waste as in the traditional Lean practices, then this is an essential read for Product Managers and Development team. I am highly recommending this to Product Owners and team members of Scrum teams as the Lean approach points to how one can get teams focused. The book could have done with better proof reading as errors in terminology may put folks off yet there are excellent elements of such as having a hypotheses and essentially taking a Scientific approach in testing the hypotheses. So sure the four Agile values are incorrectly stated as principles, and no doubt in the abstract one can confuse values and/or principles. In fact they could have provided some treatment to the twelve Agile principles […] in order to introduce a narrower set of principles as there are some overlapping principles. As someone already mentioned the 15 or so principles would have been better presented in a simpler form that is memorable.

The main thrust of the book is that early on in Software industry development was undertaken at the behest of someones best guess. Now, software development is no longer the new kid on the block and fortunately we now have tools and techniques learnt as a result of the past that pushes teams to be more deliberate with the choices they make versus a choice made in some ivory tower. Sure a higher level choice is made through company and product strategy. This hasn’t trickled down as easily as one would imagine and Lean UX shows a way in how one can focus on flow of ideas all the way to customer realizing value based on customer feedback and frequent learning that teams engage in.” – Amazon reviewer

UX Book Review: Rocket Surgery Made Easy- Steve Krug (5 practical takeaways)

This series aims at quickly summarizing UX books you know of and some you may not have read. We will outline 5 main takeaways from each book, how long it takes to read the book and share balanced reviews on the book. Today’s UX book is Steve Krug’s Rocket Surgery Made Easy. If you find the insights valuable then you can consider buying the book and diving deeper into its material.

Rocket Surgery Made Easy, Steve Krug – Quick summary

By paring the process of testing and fixing products down to its essentials (“A morning a month, that’s all we ask”), Rocket Surgery makes it realistic for teams to test early and often, catching problems while it’s still easy to fix them. Rocket Surgery Made Easy adds demonstration videos to the proven mix of clear writing, before-and-after examples, witty illustrations, and practical advice

Book Reading Time: 4.7 Hours
Amazon Rating: 4.5 / 5

About the author
Steve Krug spent 25+ years as a usability consultant for a wide variety of clients like Apple, Bloomberg, Lexus, NPR, and the International Monetary Fund. His consulting firm, Advanced Common Sense (“just me and a few well-placed mirrors”) is based in Chestnut Hill, MA.

5 Main takeaways from Rocket Surgery Made Easy

Conduct Regular, Simple Usability Tests:
Krug emphasizes the importance of frequent and straightforward usability testing. Instead of waiting for a polished product, start testing early and often. Aim to conduct at least one usability test per month to continuously gather insights and make iterative improvements.
Involve the Whole Team:
Engage team members from different disciplines in the usability testing process. This includes developers, product managers, and stakeholders. By involving the entire team, you can foster a shared understanding of user issues and encourage collaborative problem-solving.
Recruit Users Who Reflect Your Target Audience:
Select participants who match the characteristics of your actual users. Even small sample sizes can provide valuable insights if the participants accurately represent the target audience. Avoid over-complicating recruitment; friends, family, or colleagues can often serve as useful stand-ins.
Focus on Observing Behavior, Not Gathering Opinions:
During usability tests, prioritize observing what users do rather than what they say they would do. Watching users interact with your product can reveal usability problems that might not be apparent through feedback alone. Look for patterns in behavior that indicate common issues.
Make Testing and Reporting Simple:
Keep the testing and reporting process straightforward to ensure it becomes a regular practice. Use a simple, repeatable process for conducting tests, and create concise, actionable reports that highlight key findings and recommendations. Focus on the most critical issues that can be addressed quickly.

Balanced Reviews on this book
“This is a very good practical guide to Usability and Usability Testing. A common sense approach that is a good read for anyone embarking on a web app project, in fact any app.
It is a non technical jargon free read that would suit the business owner / project manager / functional consultant that is about to get into any app development project no matter what size the project is.”

“I’m a really big fan of Steve’s book, “Don’t Make Me Think” so I was eager to read this follow-up. I felt that it was well put together, continuing to be written in the irreverent tone of the other book. However, really, the material in the book could have been put into a couple of youtube videos and that would have handled it. I’m not sure if I’m happy that the book was so easily digested during a single flight I took recently or upset that I paid as much as I did for such a small text. On balance, I guess I’m happy that Steve wrote things in such simple terms and I’m sure I’ll be rewarded for my meager investment of time and money with better websites versus someone who wrote fluff to fill a book.”

“Despite its confusing title, this book has a clear focus: Convince you of the benefits of simple usability tests (the kind where you sit down with a user and watch them perform some tasks), and walk you through that process with just enough detail to make you confident that you, too, can perform such tests without too much effort. The focus of this book is on finding usability problems; there isn’t much discussion of specific problems, just the advice to keep the fixes as simple as possible.”

“To put it in other words you will be disappointed if you think the book is related to the design of a website without the requirement of a user session (feed back session, user testing, etc…). The author’s previous book was well versed in this area, designing a website/store based on proven feedback from himself based on the good and bad designs of other sites. The current book, Rocket Surgery Made Easy, gives no indication that the whole task of the book is to easily create sessions for users and get immediate feedback. The book is great but make sure you understand that you are buying a book on how to get immediate feedback from the user and not get it using analytics, eyeball tracking software, click-through rates, or any other method of tracking a user’s feedback.”

UX Book Review: Don’t make me think, Revisited- Steve Krug (5 practical takeaways)

Choosing a UX book to read can be a daunting task especially if you do not know how it will impact your work and career. This series aims at quickly summarizing UX books you know of and some you may not have read. We will outline 5 main takeaways from each book, detail how long it takes to read the book and highlight some key reviews. If you find the insights valuable then you can consider buying the book and diving deeper into its material.

Don’t make me think, Revisited by Steve Krug – Quick Summary

A guide to help web designers and developers understand the principles of intuitive navigation and information design. Witty, common sensical, and eminently practical, it’s one of the best-loved and most recommended books on the subject. This book equips you and your team with an understanding of how humans behave, with valuable principles/tips to prevent and address usability issues. Web usability is fundamentally about human psychology, not technology.

Book Reading Time: 6 Hours approximately
Amazon Rating: 4.6 / 5

About the author

Steve Krug (pronounced “kroog”) is best known as the author of Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, now in its third edition with over 600,000 copies in print. Ten years later, he finally gathered enough energy to write another one: the usability testing handbook Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems. The books were based on the 30+ years he’s spent as a usability consultant for a wide variety of clients like Apple, Bloomberg.com, Lexus.com, NPR, the International Monetary Fund, and many others.

5 Main takeaways from Don’t make me think, revisited

Prioritize Clarity and Simplicity: Krug emphasizes the importance of designing interfaces that are intuitive and easy to understand at a glance. UX designers should strive to minimize cognitive load by eliminating unnecessary elements and providing clear visual cues to guide users through the interface.
Design for Scanning, Not Reading: Users tend to scan web pages rather than reading them thoroughly. Designers should structure content in a scannable format, with concise headings, bullet points, and meaningful visuals to help users quickly find the information they need.
Create Clear Navigation Paths: Navigation should be intuitive and predictable, allowing users to easily navigate through the website or application without confusion. Use familiar patterns, such as placing navigation menus in standard locations, and provide clear labels for links and buttons.
Embrace Usability Testing: Regular usability testing is essential for identifying usability issues and gathering feedback from real users. Conducting usability tests allows designers to uncover pain points, understand user behavior, and make informed design decisions to improve the overall user experience.
Iterate and Refine: UX design is an iterative process. Designers should continuously monitor user feedback, analyze metrics, and iterate on designs based on insights gained from testing and observation. By embracing a culture of continuous improvement, designers can create more effective and user-centric experiences over time.

By incorporating these key takeaways into your design process, you can create interfaces that are user-friendly, intuitive, and optimized for the needs of their target audience.

Most highlighted in the book

“If you can’t make something self-evident, you at least need to make it self-explanatory.”

“The most important thing you can do is to understand the basic principle of eliminating question marks.”

“Clear, well-thought-out navigation is one of the best opportunities a site has to create a good impression.”

Balanced Reviews on this book

“It’s pretty common sense, which he admits outright, but I don’t think it’s anything too revolutionary. His main point is that it’s all common sense, you just don’t think about it in the moment. As a User Experience developer, I found it a little shallow for what I was hoping for. Most everything he says you would learn in design classes (my BFA is graphic design and Web/Digital Media Development, so I’d mostly heard it all before). If you don’t have a background in design or want to be informed when talking with developers, then you can get a lot out of this book. If you’ve had some experience with designing for the web, the author probably isn’t going to share anything you haven’t heard somewhere else.”

“The author does a great job explaining UX at a strategic level. He goes into extensive detail on user testing which is great. He teaches some layout detail, but still at a very high level. This is a great book to get the right mindset going into UX. I would have given the book 5 stars instead of 4 if the author dive deeper into more detail on layout and design details.”

“Includes good information about friendly web design. It does not go into details on HOW to configure those designs, so it assumes you already understand web design basics. I was surprised how fun this book was to read because it has great humor and excellent graphic examples. I read through it in a few hours and have a page full of items to fix on my website now. Glad I finally read it.”

Tag: ux book

UX Book Review: Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction (5 practical takeaways)

Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction – Book Summary