I have no patience for books.
I love books; don't get me wrong. I love recipe books, gardening books, interior design books, faith books...basically anything with lots of pictures or short chapters that I can pick up at any time, read a few pages and be inspired to go do something else. When I really want to learn something I usually end up looking it up online...which explains why I have thousands of bookmarked sites I have yet to organize!
It was during one of my online quests for information on web usability that I stumbled upon this book: Don't Make Me Think, a Common Sense Guide to Web Usability by Steve Krug. Krug's book has become my all-time favorite off-line resource for all things web design related. And don't think this is just another web design book. Though it covers design basics, it focuses more on how people use web sites and how you can improve your site (and your profits) by increasing it's usability.
It's everything I love in a book but rarely see:
1. Lots of pictures. Lots and lots of pictures, diagrams, visual aids and more pictures.
2. No wasted pages...every page is packed with valuable web design tips.
3. Humor
4. Timlessness
5. "Secrets" from a professional
6. Common Sense (every page I'm saying to myself, "why didn't I think of that?")
7. And, of course, creative gumption.
Whether you're a beginner running a CafePress shop or a professional designer managing a network of web sites, this book will add value to your off-line library.
Note: The above link to Krugs book is an affiliate link. Although buying the book through this link, you'd be helping support this site, I'd still recommend it if you choose to buy it elsewhere. Just do a search on Amazon or Google for "Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug."
