Textbook of Usability

b. 1950, USA · Usability consultant; long-time advocate of low-cost testing

Also known as: Steve Krug

Steve Krug wrote the most-read introduction to web usability, Don't Make Me Think, first published in 2000 and now in its third edition. The book's central rule, given as the title, is that web pages should require zero conscious effort to scan and act on; the book extends the rule into a small set of practical principles for navigation, page layout, link wording and form design.

Krug's follow-up Rocket Surgery Made Easy (2009) argued that formal usability testing is overcomplicated, and that any team can run useful tests with three users, a rough prototype and a morning a month. His "discount usability" position complements Nielsen's heuristic-evaluation tradition and made structured user testing accessible to small teams that could not afford a research lab.