This is an essential book to all who design pages for web or work with hipermedia and would like your own work to be easily navigated. The content is very clear and helpful.

Jakob Nielsen is the acknowledged guru of web usability. I found this to be one of his most useful books yet, with screen shots of sites to illustrate both good implementations and violations of usability best practices. His reasoning behind prioritizing which usability issues to go after first is sound. While I don't agree with 100% of what he recommends, I agree strongly with about 95% of it. And all his opinions are grounded in years of extensive research. Nielsen's books are always specific and actionable. A great read for anyone who cares about improving the user experience online.

If more businesses read this, they'd have better web sites. And the rest of us wouldn't have to put up with their poorly designed, often unusable web site.

If you do business online, hope to do business online, or have any connection with doing business online, you probably need this book. What to do, what not to do, and why.

If you can only afford 1 book, make it this one. It'll save you from making a ton of mistakes, and is worth the price.

I love it, lots of great info. The section dealing with search key-word values was very interesting. It's nice to know how the web as a whole is doing, and what standards are being practiced in the real world, and how we can aim to improve. Take everything with a gain of salt and apply it using your own knowledge and experience.

The book is very detailed packed with information. What I liked the most about it was the fact that conflicts between pure usability for the visitor and search engine friendly site architecture (search engine optimization or SEO) were addressed by the book as well. It did not just point out those conflicts but offered suggestions for possible compromises between the two.

I think that this book is especially helpful for Internet marketers that are Webmasters and do-it-yourself SEO but also corporate marketers should pick it up to learn about those conflicts, because it will help during cross-department discussions about the Website content and features.

Those aspects are often not considered and costly when fixed later, unless you have a SEO consultant around all the time who covers it for you.

Great conent about web useaibilty but poorly presented in print. Could have had better page layout and organisation

I started out reading Jakob's first book "Designing Web Usability" way back in 2000. I was a budding web designer and wow! his book gave me a totally new perspective. I read it cover to cover in one day - and then again, and again, because it was chock full on new information that I hadn't found anywhere else. It changed the way I created Websites and talk to my clients ever since. This was a must read then.
When "Homepage Usability 50 Web sites deconstructed" (Jakob Nielsen/Martin Tahir) came out in 2000 I wanted to know where I fit in. It was fascinating how these two looked at sites that at first glance I thought were just fine and then they went to work and bit by bit take them appart, analysed them and finally, 19 comments later, informed you about what you have missed and could still improve on. Yikes! I knew I had to pay close attention to this if I wanted to become a great web designer. "...50 Web sites..." is still a great source of inspiration and information to me to this date.

So, when "Prioritizing Web Usability" came out, the follow up to "Designing Web Usability", I ordered it right away. This book provides insights that are invaluable to anybody that is starting out as a web designer and web developer. Don't even think you know your users. Don't assume - get the facts, start here. Sure, some things may not surprise you, after all, we too, the users, have become better at using the Internet since 2000 (lightyears away really for anybody working in this business). But this book is chock full of many interesting facts, insights and tips. I boldly say "if you don't read this book you can't be serious doing business on the Web." Read it and then apply it, eventually it will find a warm place in your library.

I love this book because it confirms many things that I thought I know but just wasn't sure about it or couldn't put it in the exact context. Most useful to me is chapter 2 'WEB USABILITY' and the findings on Search Dominance, Chapter 5 'SEARCH' and Chapter 8 'WRITING FOR THE WEB' - a concept that is still difficult to grasp for many of my clients. I often give them the "two sentence test", or "elevator speech" test as someone else calls it, with always the same results - they don't want to believe it. It's nice to have Jakob in the wings to back me up :)

I can also recommend "Don't Make Me Think!" by Steven Krug - again, great insights in web usability.

Overall, this is a book not to be missed. This is a must read now.

As my second most favorite usability book, this book points out the hundreds of ways a site can go wrong, and the many points to consider when designing sites. Let's be honest - it's pretty impossible to satisfy all their guidelines and STILL meet a deadline - but at least you can pick the ones that matter most to your company, and be aware of the once you missed. Another must read for web designers.

Though not as straight to the point as Steve Krugg's "Don't make me think!" - it definitely is more detailed, with supporting data (things that will help when convincing upper management).

rioritizing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen and Hoa Loranger can best be described as a more 'strict' approach to web usability. If you have been in web development for any extended period of time it is likely that you have heard the name Jakob Nielsen. He offers great insight to web usability and has for many years. Some may view him as strict, some as normal, and still some as WAY off his rocker. No matter how you view him, he deserves much respect for his time spent in usability studies and the (somewhat timeless) statistics and information he brings to the table. I just finished reading this book, coupled with "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krugg, and appreciated what all of the authors could present through statistics, screenshots, and customer insight.

The first part of this book focused on revisiting early web usability findings. This dealt with discussing the aspects of web usability that have progressed since his first book. He went through each of them and re-evaluated their score. His scoring method was based on 1-3 skulls, with 3 representing major problems and 1 as not as problematic. He goes through each of them and asserts why (or why not) they received their specific rating. Many of these deal with the basics of web development such as underlining links, using animation or other intensive use of graphical elements, and the structure of pages. I found this section to be a great resource, but the best of the book was still yet to come.

The middle chapters (I would break this book into thirds), discussed assessing your website and potential usability problems. The chapters focused on such things as: Search, Navigation and Information Architecture, Typography, and Writing for the Web. Each of these chapters plunged deep into the root of HOW users interact with each element.

With search, it included such things as where the search box is placed, how it is worded, and how easily results are returned. He examined several sites and their search results - giving feedback to their listing and usefulness. The concept of Search Engine Optimization was also discussed here, giving you insight on how to optimize your internal website to interact with the larger search engines.
Navigation and Information Architecture was interesting, but I don't believe much as changed in the past few years. Users are accustomed to many different elements when browsing a website (a standard, if you will). Many times when this is broken it causes the user to have to stop, spend time THINKING about the site, and then interacting (if they stay in it that long).
Typography was discussed in detail, and I found this to be an informative chapter - even if you are not a designer. It lets you know what fonts are common for web browsers, the difference between serif and sans-serif and its effects on users and their reading pattern, and using case and spacing (and color) to present your content. These are often the little things that are overlooked when developing a website, and he gives several examples of typefaces in page structures.
Writing for the web is somewhat of an art. Many companies rely on marketing `fluff' to get content in place. This strategy is more harmful than helpful as people are in search of your content - and if they get fluff or can't find what they are looking for, they can instantly go to another website. Through this book, and others, I have found that the key to successful copy on the web is `Keep it Short.'
The last part of the book discussed e-commerce, product page structure, using technology that works, and finding design that works. Again, I don't feel that there was anything earth shattering or new mentioned - but re-inforced with up to date websites and common mistakes.

When discussing technology that works, he made mention to accessibility. He states
"An accessible site is one that removes obstacles that get in people's way; removing the obstacle overcomes the disability."
In design that works he emphasizes the `practice of simplicity.' He makes the analogy of interior decorating. He states that
"An amateur decorator might pack a living room with a jumble of furniture styles, patterns, and textures in a misguided attempt to dazzle. In contrast, skilled designers carefully select items that support their clients' needs, ruthlessly eliminating those elements that do not serve a real purpose."
. Basically, assessing each element of your design and asking if it simplifies the user experience or adds value. If it doesn't, then remove it!

The steps to finding a design that works involves evaluating new technology.
"There will always be new technology, but setting your sights too high backfires. Early adopters are a minority."

This book is an invaluable resource for anyone doing web development and is highly recommended if you want to really understand your users and their habits. It is a fairly quick read and is packed with up-to-date screenshots and statistics.

It was in v. good condition and the book was useful for us in building some web standards through our organization

This is one of those book reviews where I have to separate content from my biases on the presentation of that content... Prioritizing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen and Hoa Loranger. Let me elaborate...

Contents: Introduction - Nothing To Hide; The Web User Experience; Revisiting Early Web Usability Findings; Prioritizing Your Usability Problems; Search; Navigation and Information Architecture; Typography - Readability & Legibility; Writing for the Web; Providing Good Product Information; Presenting Page Elements; Balancing Technology with People's Needs; Final Thoughts - Design That Works; Index

I acknowledge that Nielsen is an industry expert in web usability. He has done extensive usability studies with web sites to capture what works and what doesn't when it comes to web design. His book Designing Web Usability is often cited as the bible of what should and shouldn't be done on your site. In Prioritizing, the authors take a look at the past to see if there's been any improvement on the killer sins of web design as covered in Designing. They update the ranking of the most heinous examples of "features", and then cover what items should be addressed first when it comes to fixing your site. There's no way to make a perfect site, and you can use this information to focus on getting the biggest payback on your efforts.

Where I have a problem is with the "attitude" that I perceived in the material. Designing was one of the first web design books I read, and it really put me off of those types of books. The expert says "I don't like this", therefore no one should do that. If something loads in more than 1.52 seconds, it's bad. I'm exaggerating a bit, but that's the sense I got from reading the book. Prioritizing is a bit better, but I still had the feeling that Neilsen's preferences and nitpicking were being held up as "best practices", just because he says so. Yes, I know there is an abundance of research behind his numbers, but going on about how 17% do this and 19% do that got to be a bit much at times. And when I ran across a couple of pages that had a number of typos scattered throughout, I couldn't help but chuckle...

Yes, this is good information to read and know. We all know that many sites leave much to be desired when it comes to actual usage. But I would have had an easier time being open to it if there was a bit more pragmatism and a bit less dogma... Could just be me, and your mileage might vary, however...

The authors give very useful advice on designing web pages. Most of which comes across as common sense, once you read it. For example, if you have text in blue that is not clickable, it is not a good idea. Many users are now conditioned to regard blue text as a link, and might even consider your page broken if it does not click!

The book also reports on the curious state of searching. Surveys indicate that the usage of a general purpose search engine, like Google, Yahoo or Microsoft, seems to give more relevant results, than a local search of a user's corporate website. Even though you'd imagine that the opposite should be true.

Ten years ago, the Web was exciting to people. Today it's routine. It's a tool. If it's convenient, they will use it; if not, they won't. Users are getting less tolerant of difficult sites, so every design flaw means lost business. Thus, usability has more more important than ever.

This is the introduction of the reviewed book and I fully agree that it is time we prioritize Web usability. Of course, we all know about the fact that usability is important, but are we only paying lip service to the issue. When we decide between great design and great us-ability issues there's is often a trade-off. How often do we accept a lower level of usability in order to show off cool design? By the way, it is not that difficult to measure: Can people use the site at all? Test it!

Author Jakob Nielsen has a world-class reputation as Web usability expert since 1995 and this book co-authored by Hoa Loranger proves that he is still going strong.

A "practice of simplicity" has always been characterizing Jakob Nielsen's approach to us-ability. A picture is worth a 1000 words and thus the authors has filled this book with new screen shots that show what design mistakes we should avoid. The authors' visualizing and keeping it simple approach makes this book very easy to digest. If you have your own Web site you probably cannot help browsing your own web site to find design mistakes.

After having read this book with a huge number of best practices, why do you still need to do your own user testing? The reason is because usability guidelines are based on three levels of research:
* general guidelines: user behaviour across most web sites
* specialized guidelines: findings about specific genres or areas of sites (such as e-commerce usability or e-government services)
* specific guidelines: detailed findings about a specific site and its customers

This book only deals with the general guidelines. They may solve 50-80% of your usability problems, but to become best-in-class you need to go all the way to the specific guide-lines.


I like Nielsen's $200 user test. It makes it accessible for anybody. No more excuses. Pick 3-4 people in your target group. Give them some specific tasks for your web site. Then observe. Discover what users actually do, not what they say they do (via questionnaires, etc.). So observe, don't survey. Discuss what you have learned and make the changes. Test again, if need be. It's simple, it is cheap, and it is fast. Use.it!

I have always been very inspired by Nielsen's manifesto for usability. But beware. He may be a little radical in his approach to usability (although seemingly less so as he matures!). For instance, I always found the design of his own Web site awful. It is very usable obvi-ously, but .... To me it just proves the fact that all Web site owners have to find their own right balance between cool design and great usability.

I also recommend Steve Krug's easy-to-read "Don't make me think", and McGovern's books on Web Content. I addition, I strongly recommend the Eisenberg brothers' book on "A call for Action", especially targeted for the e-commerce segment.

A final note: This book is about your customers and what they need, not about you. If that is of your concern, then do spend the next week in companion with this book. Ultimately, it is about you also. Once you start working actively with how people interact with your de-sign, you can make it better than your competitor's.

Peter Leerskov,
MSc in International Business (Marketing & Management) and Graduate Diploma in E-business

I have been waiting for a new Jakob Nielsen book for years after particularly enjoying the 50 homepages deconstructed book by him. It was with eager anticipation that I first started to read it. However, I was disppointed for many reasons:

- The first 100 pages are pretty obvious to anyone who is at all into website usability, it just talks about improvements made to usability, with little thought given to new usability problems that have appeared since his last book.

- The case studies are good, but he doesn't conduct a big enough sample group. 50 homepages book did this way better, and for bigger and more industry standard websites.

- The last few chapters have very little real direction and seem to have just been bolted on to make the book longer. Almost left a sour taste in my mouth when I finished, making me think, 'hmmm, tell me something I didn't already know'.

If you have already read his first book, then I would seriously recommend his '50 homepages deconstructed' book over this. Way more informative with many more action items in it.

He also continues to ignore critical areas of 'why and how' you need to improve usability - to increase lead generation and sales. This has way more of an impact for most businesses. Books like 'Call to Action' by Brian Eisenberg do a much better job of this and provide you with more action items to improve websites.

I'm disappointed Jakob....

This book seems more like an updated edition of the previous book. It does not contain many new thoughts.

+ concisely written and well-illustrated

- poor use of popular language (e.g. "lame") at times.

- not much new content, compared to the 1999 "Web Usability" book by Nielsen

- too many references to other reports & seminars which can be purchased from Nielsen/Norman Group. I don't buy a book to receive a sales brochure from a company.

- the book states that you should use "everyday" users to test an "everyday" website. However, in several of the quoted user statements, users use such terms as "I don't think this is user friendly" which sound more like a technical opinion, rather than an empirical fact.

- It seems that some reviews are biased, mainly the one for the Social Security website.

- Some of the websites chosen to review are low-traffic and amateuristic websites. I would have preferred larger websites for all screenshots.

- It's unclear which parts Nielsen wrote, and which parts his associate. I'm afraid that Nielsen lent his name for the cover only.

###

I've read all of Nielsen's books and I would not
recommend this one since it does not hold as many fundamentals as his 1999 book.

His previous co-authored book on homepages is a well-written and beautifully illustrated book.

This is the updated version to Jakob Nielsens "Designing Web Usability : The Practice of Simplicity" which came out back in 1999. That book was one of the first books of its kind in reviewing how users view the web and how web designers should create web pages. This book updates many of his guidelines to the current web.

This book starts out (Chapter 1) giving a brief explanation of how the testing was done (69 users around the world), and what websites were included in the tests. Each user was given various tasks to accomplish for each web site and was studied on how they accomplished each task. It then focuses on the importance of user testing on web sites. Personally, I've always felt that unless the website is a large commercial type site (e-commerce), user testing was a waste of time and money. Boy was I wrong...

The next chapter is honestly the best in my opinion because it gives lots of great information on how users look at a website and how long they will give until the move on to another. People that don't design websites really don't realize how little time they have to grab the user's attention so they will use the site and come back to it over and over again. Jakob talks about the importance of your homepage and the average time users spend on it (25-35 seconds) and what can be done to improve the user experience. Then website page snapshots are shown on how users read web pages content. People don't actually read entire web pages content, they scan it. I never knew that...

The rest of Chapter 2 talks about the importance of Search Engine results and how many pages users will go through in order to find what they are looking for (trust me it isn't a lot). I learned more in reading this chapter than I have in years of web design and surfing. You could buy the book solely on this one chapter.

The rest of the book focuses on updating prior usability findings, rating the problems of user failure, navigation and information architecture, readability with typography, writing content, providing good product information, and presenting page elements. The book is only 390 pages, and it seems that you can read it in a day, but believe me; this book has more useful information that books twice its size. This is definitely a book you need to read in parts and really let the information sink in and try to compare the results with websites you have created (I have).

Each chapter has tons of screenshots of the various websites that were tested in visually showing you where the problems occur. This is a great practically web book, that it should be in your library no matter what level of web designer/developer you are...

Great book....

Having read two of Jakob Nielsen's previous books and being a regular visitor of his website, I was a little afraid there might be nothing new in this book for me.
But I must admit I was wrong: although most of the basic usability principles still apply, the internet (and its users) have changed over the past years. It makes sense that usability guidelines evolve too and this book had done an excellent job bringing me up to date.

The only thing I did not like where the numerous pullquotes throughout the book. They do nothing but repeat some sentence on the current page, but this is really a minor thing.

Indeed, if users try to accomplish something - anything - on your website, you owe it to them to read this book. And if you want to make money with your website, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

If you have a web site or are in the process of building one, I would HIGHLY recommend that one of the first things you do is pick up Jakob Nielsen's and Hoa Loranger's book Prioritizing Web Usability. This is the most important book I have ever read on Web sites. (Of course, I also thought this about one of Jakob's previous books-Designing Web Usability!) It is a very enjoyable read and a difficult book to put down. This is the real work. Lots of brilliant psychology and ideas that I guarantee you will use and I can assure you, your business online will benefit after you read it AND it and implement the ideas. I cannot emphasize enough how good this book is. Absolutely brilliant.

From the preface: If you are considering whether this book contains information that is useful to you, the key question to ask yourself is: Are users trying to accomplish something when they visit my site? If the answer is "yes," then you should be concerned about usability.

This book is for anyone involved in creating something that goes on the internet: designers, programmers, information architects, and, yes, usability people. It doesn't say anything about programming languages or using software like Photoshop, but it says everything about the product created by programming languages and software. A website is the cumulation of a thousand decisions: the location of links, typography, the size of the search box, the substance of the content, etc. This book gives you the best design decisions and the reasons behind those decisions discovered through in depth usability testing of the common user.

If you have read Jakob's previous books and read his Alertbox and like those, then you will love this book with loads of Webpage snapshot examples and explanations. If you are one of those who discount Jakob's advice because of his simplistic Website, then you will be sorely missing out if you don't at least read and consider his advice and findings.