This is an innovative and timely book that introduces the reader to the human component of Web site design. Readers will be able to do a much better job of writing front ends or other interactive software, as the book describes the creation of user-friendly Web sites. In the context of Human-Computer Interaction and Web design, this book covers such topics as user and task analysis, content organization, visual organization, navigation design, prototyping, and evaluation, as well as color, typography, multimedia, accessibility, globalization. For individuals interested in entering the field of Web page and site design, as well as industrial team workers in HCI and Web site development.

1) The book is much more expensive than books with similar content.

2) The eloquent Jared Spool, listed as an author, provided only a short preface.

3) The book was designed as a college textbook. Who loves or hates a textbook enough to bother to review it?

As a classroom aid, the book is superb. Usability principles are presented from foundations to applications clearly and without padding. Unlike many usability texts, statements are backed with ample references. The color illustrations lighten the book sufficiently to soften any textbooky stigma.

Each chapter ended with review questions and exercises. Some of them were very interesting and creative, but if you are not in a classroom with an instructor who has access to the password-protected answers, you are on your own.

So the Web professional attracted to the material and learning on his own will inevitably feel a bit cheated out of the full value of the book.


many useful tips   July 5, 2007
W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

McCracken suggests a somewhat back to basics approach to website design. He offers 4 ideas - proximity, alignment, consistency and contrast. Claiming that by adhering to these, you can develop a very professional website. Even if it is just your personal website.

The ideas are useful and uncontroversial. Consistency across the pages on a website is probably the most common idea shared with other books on this topic. Alignment is also a good thing. Like avoiding centred alignment as much as possible. Left alignment is usually the best and safest choice, for the greatest ease of reading.

There is a chapter on colour which is also well worth reading. Explaining the biophysics of colour, and how to use colour effectively on a webpage.


Content Okay - Presentation Poor   February 15, 2009
andrea
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

As a previous reviewer suggested, the printing quality of this book is very poor. Every word in each row of the right hand column has been cut off, leaving the reader to guess what should come next. Additionally, this is not a book that is meant to be published in paperback, this is especially evident in the chapter on color, which of course has absolutely no color, but references color wheels (in black and white mind you) and asks you to view images that are meant to show gradations in hue, etc.! One can work through these obstacles, but with a $50+ price tag, you shouldn't have to. The only reason I did not return my copy, was because I needed it for a class in which I was already behind.


Not worth the price   May 19, 2004
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

When I first bought this book, I expected to get more out of it in terms of designing web pages with users in mind. It focused a lot on setting up testing centers with a paper system and getting feedback from users. It was very brief on good web design techniques (doesn't cover navigation enough). The hands on exercises leaves something to be desired. Although there were some good ideas in this book, I found myself "hanging" at the end as if there should have been much more.