Jakob Nielsen
Jakob Nielsen
errors design messages
Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
tasks documentation may
Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user's task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
interesting victory progress
Compared to 1999...we cannot quite declare victory, but we can declare progress.
design designer users
Users are not designers.
tree grows
What we learned is money doesn't grow on trees.
two use host
Popularity is the product of two factors: (a) how compelling material you offer, and (b) how easy it is to access it. Host free pirated movies and users will flock to the site, even if it's difficult to use.
book simplicity humanity
...the book is a manifesto to make the Web atone for the sins of computers and regain a level of simplicity that can put humanity at peace with its tools once again.
information pollution information-overload
Information Overload = "information pollution"
mean errors simplicity
Developing fewer features allows you to conserve development resources and spend more time refining those features that users really need. Fewer features mean fewer things to confuse users, less risk of user errors, less description and documentation, and therefore simpler Help content. Removing any one feature automatically increases the usability of the remaining ones.
real order phrases
The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order.
apples copying window
Windows '98 is so similar to Windows '95 because Apple hasn't invented anything worth copying since 1995.
feedback should appropriate
The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
pay attention user-experience
...pay attention to what users do, not what they say.
attitude years people
The usability tests we have conducted during the last year have shown an increasing reluctance among users to accept innovations in Web design. The prevailing attitude is to request designs that are similar to everything else people see on the Web.