A Vital Read For Anyone Involved In A Web ProjectSince the day I got this book, my outlook on the process of designing for the web has changed entirely.
Regardless of the examples, the guidelines and advice in this book can be applied to any design for the web. The book is very manageable, starting off explaining Jesse James Garrett's 'Elements of User Experience' diagram in summary, so that you can grasp the concept, and then going into much more detail of how to plan the elements of a project in an effective way.
It isn't written in an academic tone, which makes this an interesting and easily-digestible read in a few hours and, if you're anything like me, you'll end up dipping into it for advice whenever you're broaching user testing or any similar exercise.
I am only currently a student, but I have the 'Elements of User Experience' diagram on my wall and I use it to help plan all of my projects. This book opens your eyes to so many aspects of user experience that it would be difficult coming away from reading it without learning something new.
An excellent primer, but needs background to put into practiceLike the other reviewers I thought this was worthwhile read. It's worth pointing out it's deliberately not a scholarly text, (similar in tone to Krug's Don't Make Me Think) so it's an easy read on a train journey or similar. I liked the way it's very business focused - I can see that this is couched in genuine experience of working within small to medium design projects. As an example, it is probably the only book I have read on usability which both acknowledges the existence of, and the risks associated with, UAT - an exercise which has probably wasted more of my time than any other. I also like the requirements focus, and the acknowledgement of "site objectives", other than just user requirements, having a place in design. In theory it should extend out to large projects, but I think that scenario presents a whole new set of problems, only some of which are touched on.
Where I think it falls down is that, while I like the bones, there's not much flesh. I think you actually need to be trained in the arts and magics of UCD beforehand to know what technique you would apply or what design principle is relevant at any given point (and, on behalf of the graphic designers and information scientists out there, I think it is equally light on what their work involves). Yes, it talks about lab tests and contextual enquiry but it needs some expertise to know exactly which method to apply, or which design choices to make. So, if you were a newcomer without an experienced UX professional on hand, you will need to do a bit of follow up reading. And also there is not a single mention on accessibility which, for a book on web user experience, is a shocking omission.
For me, as a UX professional working in an organisation, I can see its real value as part of practical training - for instance, giving non- or junior UX people this book to read (particularly other stakeholders in the design process such as BAs) and saying to them "Have a read, and then we can discuss which methods, techniques, design principles are the best ones for your product"
Experience given awayThis book is very good. With a very clear design (which helps when you read a book about user experience), you get a continuous and progressive flow of the different layers you should think about when designing applications. Mainly focused on the final user experience, it is a resource full of practical examples based on experience.
The concepts, though, are based on the presumption that you are the designer of a big application and that you have the mighty power to get what you want. Even though it's a pretty good tick-list of things you need to think about when designing an application, it is often only completely applicable if working with more than 5 people in the development team.
Excellent for technical/design managers that need to ensure an application will be designed wisely.
Very good book
Really good, creative source of knowledge and wisdom. You always know when book is bad, middle or excellent. This one is excellent. From the illustrations to the content, it's full of creative ideas, tested in real world environments.
Book is written in friendly style and can be read and understood quite easily. Highly recommend it to professionals and students.
Hide Reviews
.gif)
.gif)
