Don't Make Me Think, Revisited

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited Plot Summary

Introduction

Creating a truly intuitive website or app can feel like an elusive goal. We've all experienced the frustration of navigating a poorly designed interface—clicking in circles, struggling to find basic information, or abandoning a purchase because the checkout process was too complicated. These everyday digital headaches point to a fundamental truth: users don't want to think about how to use your site; they just want to use it. The path to intuitive usability isn't about dazzling designs or cutting-edge features. It's about understanding how people actually interact with digital products and then removing obstacles from their path. When users can effortlessly accomplish their goals without confusion, frustration, or unnecessary mental effort, you've achieved the holy grail of design. This human-centered approach to building digital experiences requires humility, empathy, and a willingness to observe real users—not just trust your own expertise or assumptions.

Chapter 1: Focus on Clarity: Make Your Site Self-Evident

The first law of usability is strikingly simple: don't make me think. Every question mark that pops into a user's head adds to their cognitive workload and distracts from their main task. When someone looks at your web page, it should be self-evident—obvious, self-explanatory, and clear without requiring conscious thought. Steve Krug illustrates this with a powerful example from his usability testing sessions. He describes watching a user named Janet try to book a flight on an airline website. While the designers thought their navigation system was perfectly logical, Janet spent several frustrating minutes trying to find where to check flight status. The site had categorized this feature under "Travel Information" rather than making it a prominent, clearly labeled option. Janet's thought bubbles were filled with questions: "Would that be under Reservations? Maybe Customer Service? Why don't they just have a button called 'Flight Status'?" The contrast became clear when Janet later visited another airline's site that featured a prominent "Check Flight Status" button right on the homepage. Her relief was immediate—"There it is!"—and she completed her task in seconds. No thinking required, just instant recognition and action. This clarity extends to everything on your site. Labels should be obvious rather than clever, navigation should follow established patterns, and important functions should be immediately recognizable. For instance, Krug points out that using industry jargon like "Product Matrix" when users are looking for a simple "Product Comparison" forces unnecessary translation work. Every moment users spend figuring out what something means is a moment they're not accomplishing their goals. The good news is that achieving clarity doesn't require radical redesign. Often it's about streamlining what's already there. Remove unnecessary text, use conventional design patterns that users already understand, and ensure that clickable elements actually look clickable. Test your site with real users and watch for moments of hesitation or confusion—these are your opportunities for improvement. Remember that most people don't read web pages—they scan them. They're looking for words and phrases that match what they're seeking. So make your pages scannable with meaningful headings, highlighted keywords, and concise paragraphs. When in doubt, make your design choices more obvious, not more subtle.

Chapter 2: Understand User Behavior: Scanning and Satisficing

When we design websites, we often imagine users carefully reading every word and thoughtfully considering all options before making decisions. The reality is starkly different. Users scan pages quickly, barely reading anything, and click on the first reasonable option they find—a behavior psychologists call "satisficing." During one memorable usability test, Krug observed a participant named Michael navigating an e-commerce site. The design team had carefully crafted detailed product descriptions and comparison tools, expecting users to methodically evaluate options. Instead, Michael rapidly scanned the page, his eyes jumping from headings to images to bolded text. When asked about his experience afterward, Michael couldn't recall most of the content he had "seen." He had absorbed just enough information to make decisions without reading thoroughly. What's more revealing is how Michael made choices. When looking for a digital camera, he didn't carefully weigh all options to find the optimal one. He simply clicked on the first camera that seemed to match his basic criteria—a behavior Krug compares to finding the first acceptable item rather than the best possible one. This satisficing behavior is perfectly rational when we consider how many decisions we make online daily. The implications for designers are profound. First, recognize that users won't read your carefully crafted text—they'll scan for keywords relevant to their task. Make pages scannable with clear visual hierarchies, meaningful headings, and highlighted keywords. Break content into digestible chunks with plenty of white space. Second, understand that users don't make optimal choices—they make reasonable ones based on limited information. This means navigation should be obvious and forgiving. Users should be able to recognize immediately what each option means and recover easily if they make a wrong choice. Third, accept that users "muddle through" interfaces rather than using them as designed. In testing, Krug frequently observes people finding unconventional paths to their goals. Rather than learning how features are supposed to work, they develop just enough understanding to accomplish their immediate tasks. These insights lead to a simple conclusion: design for how users actually behave, not how you wish they would behave. Create clear visual hierarchies, embrace web conventions that users already understand, and test with real people to identify where they struggle.

Chapter 3: Optimize Visual Hierarchy for Instant Recognition

Visual hierarchy is the art of organizing page elements so users can understand their relationship at a glance. When properly implemented, it answers critical questions without requiring conscious thought: What's most important here? Which items are related? What's a subset of what? Krug shares the story of a travel website redesign that transformed user experience through improved visual hierarchy. The original design placed equal visual weight on all elements—destination search, current promotions, loyalty program information, and travel articles. Users like Marcus would arrive looking for a specific task (booking a hotel in Chicago) but feel overwhelmed by competing elements. During testing, Marcus described feeling "lost" despite the information being technically present on the page. The redesigned version created clear distinctions between elements. The booking function was prominently positioned and visually distinguished with size, color, and white space. Secondary functions received proportionally less visual emphasis. When Marcus returned to test the new design, the difference was dramatic. He immediately gravitated to the booking function without hesitation, saying "Oh, here's where I search." The information hierarchy matched his task hierarchy. Creating effective visual hierarchies begins with understanding importance relationships. More important elements should be more prominent through size, color, positioning, or white space. Related items should be visually grouped, either by proximity or shared visual attributes like background color. Nested relationships should be visually apparent, with clear parent-child relationships between sections and subsections. Contrast is essential for establishing hierarchy. Many modern "flat" designs fail because they remove too many visual distinctions. Without sufficient contrast in size, weight, color, and spacing, users struggle to distinguish between navigation, content, and calls to action. Each element needs enough visual distinction to communicate its function and importance. Testing reveals whether your hierarchy works. Watch users interact with your design and note where their eyes go first, second, and third. Does this match the importance of elements? Do they immediately recognize which elements are clickable? Can they quickly identify related items? If users hesitate or look confused, your visual hierarchy likely needs refinement. Remember that visual hierarchy isn't about aesthetics—it's about communication. The goal isn't to create something beautiful (though that's nice too) but to create something immediately understandable without conscious thought.

Chapter 4: Design Effortless Navigation Systems

Navigation isn't just a feature of your website—it is your website. Good navigation systems serve multiple purposes: they tell users what's available, how to use the site, where they currently are, and give them confidence in the people who built it. Krug recounts observing Sarah, a participant in a usability study, attempting to find information about student housing on a university website. The site had an elaborate navigation system that the designers were quite proud of. However, Sarah quickly became lost in what Krug calls "navigational quicksand." The problem wasn't that the information wasn't there—it was that the navigation failed to create a sense of place and direction. When Sarah tried another university's site, the difference was striking. This site featured what Krug calls "persistent navigation"—a consistent system that appeared on every page in the same location, creating a stable frame of reference. It included a prominent site ID (logo), a clear hierarchy of sections, utilities like search and login, and breadcrumb trails showing her current location. Sarah could confidently explore because she always knew where she was and how to get back. Effective navigation starts with understanding what users need at all times: to know where they are, what the site contains, what their options are from here, and how to return to familiar territory. These needs translate into specific elements: a site ID in the upper left, primary navigation prominently displayed, secondary navigation when needed, page names that match link names, "you are here" indicators, and a search function. Krug emphasizes the value of conventions in navigation design. When navigation elements appear where users expect them and look the way users expect them to look, cognitive load decreases dramatically. Tabs are effective precisely because they're self-evident—nobody needs to figure out how tabs work. The same applies to shopping cart icons, home buttons, and search boxes in the upper right corner. Beyond placement and appearance, navigation language matters immensely. Every link should be a clear promise about what users will find when they click. When a link says "Student Housing," the page it leads to should be called "Student Housing" and contain housing information. Breaking this contract creates confusion and erodes trust. Test your navigation by conducting what Krug calls "the trunk test." If users were dropped into a random page on your site, could they immediately tell what site they're on, what page they're on, and how to get to other key areas? Navigation that passes this test gives users the confidence to explore.

Chapter 5: Test with Real Users on a Budget

Usability testing often seems intimidating—expensive labs, complex protocols, and large participant pools. Krug upends this notion with a refreshingly practical approach: testing with just a few people, as often as possible, and focusing on fixing the most obvious problems first. Krug describes a revealing situation with a client named Barbara, who was concerned that the company's new product configuration tool was too complicated. The development team insisted it was fine—after all, they could use it easily. Rather than arguing endlessly, Krug suggested spending one morning watching three actual customers try to use it. The results were eye-opening. Within the first thirty minutes, as they watched a user named David struggle to complete even basic tasks, the room fell silent. By lunchtime, after seeing similar patterns with two more users, the team was already sketching solutions. This simple test—what Krug calls "do-it-yourself usability testing"—transformed the conversation from abstract arguments to concrete problems that everyone could see needed fixing. More importantly, it created immediate momentum for improvement rather than more debate. The process is remarkably straightforward. Recruit three participants who roughly match your target audience. Prepare a few representative tasks for them to attempt. As they work, ask them to think aloud, explaining what they're looking at, what they're trying to do, and what they're thinking. Your job is simply to watch and listen, taking notes on problems they encounter. After testing, gather the observers to compare notes and identify the most serious issues. Don't try to fix everything—focus on the top problems that appeared consistently. The goal isn't perfection but continuous improvement through regular testing. The beauty of this approach is its practicality. You can test early with paper prototypes or rough mockups. You can test frequently—Krug recommends monthly testing—because each round requires minimal preparation and resources. And you can involve stakeholders by inviting them to observe, creating shared understanding of user needs. Most importantly, this approach acknowledges a fundamental truth: you can't anticipate all usability problems through expertise alone. Watching real people use your product will always reveal unexpected issues. The sooner and more frequently you test, the less expensive these discoveries become to fix.

Chapter 6: Embrace Mobile: Design for Every Screen Size

The mobile revolution fundamentally changed how we design digital experiences. What was once a luxury—accessing the web on a small portable device—has become the primary way many people interact with digital services. This shift brings both constraints and opportunities that demand thoughtful design approaches. Krug shares the experience of a retail client whose initial mobile strategy was to simply shrink their desktop site to fit smaller screens. During testing with a user named Elena, the problems became immediately apparent. Navigating the dense menu system required pinpoint precision on her smartphone. Product images were too small to evaluate, and the checkout form was nearly impossible to complete without zooming and panning constantly. Elena abandoned her purchase out of frustration, saying, "I'll just do this later on my laptop." The team realized they were losing significant revenue by treating mobile as an afterthought. The solution wasn't simply technical but conceptual. Rather than starting with the desktop experience and scaling down, they needed to embrace the "mobile first" approach—identifying the core user needs and designing for the most constrained environment first. This forced clarity about priorities that benefited all versions of the site. Mobile design requires making thoughtful tradeoffs about content and functionality. Small screens can't display everything at once, so designers must decide what deserves immediate visibility versus what can be accessed through additional taps. The key insight is that requiring users to tap more isn't necessarily bad—as long as each tap feels purposeful and users remain confident they're on the right track. Touch interfaces also bring unique challenges around target size and placement. What works for precise cursor control often fails for fingers of varying sizes. Krug emphasizes the importance of adequately sized touch targets (at least 44 × 44 pixels), sufficient spacing between interactive elements, and positioning critical actions within easy thumb reach. Perhaps most importantly, mobile design must respect performance constraints. Even beautiful, well-organized interfaces fail if they load too slowly on cellular connections. Krug describes watching users simply abandon sites that took more than a few seconds to respond—regardless of how good the experience might have been once loaded. The most successful approach recognizes that people use mobile devices in different contexts than desktop computers—often in distracting environments, during brief moments of availability, and with divided attention. Design for these realities by creating focused experiences that help users accomplish specific goals efficiently.

Chapter 7: Practice Accessibility as Common Courtesy

Accessibility is often misunderstood as a technical compliance issue or a specialized consideration for a small audience. In reality, as Krug explains, it's about common courtesy—ensuring your digital products can be used by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities. Krug recalls working with a banking client who initially viewed accessibility as a checklist item for legal compliance. Their perspective transformed during a usability session with Michael, a blind participant who used screen reader software. As the team watched Michael attempt to open a new account, they witnessed firsthand how their supposedly "accessible" forms created numerous obstacles. Fields without proper labels were announced simply as "edit field," making it impossible to know what information to enter. A timeout feature meant to enhance security repeatedly interrupted Michael's progress, forcing him to start over. What struck the team most wasn't just the technical failures but Michael's reaction. "This is pretty typical," he explained. "I usually have to call customer service or ask someone for help." The designers realized that what they had viewed as edge cases were daily frustrations for real people. Accessibility wasn't about compliance—it was about independence and dignity. Making websites accessible doesn't require specialized expertise to begin. Start with the basics: provide alternative text descriptions for images, use proper heading structures to create a logical document outline, ensure forms have explicit labels, make sure everything that's clickable can be activated by keyboard alone, and maintain sufficient color contrast for text readability. Testing is equally straightforward. Turn off your CSS and see if the content still makes sense in a logical order. Try navigating your site using only keyboard controls. Use a free color contrast checker to verify readability. These simple checks catch many common problems without requiring special tools. The most powerful insight about accessibility is that improvements rarely benefit only people with disabilities. Properly labeled forms are easier for everyone to complete. Clear heading structures help all users scan content more efficiently. Sufficient color contrast helps anyone reading in bright sunlight. These overlapping benefits illustrate what Krug calls "the curb-cut effect"—accommodations designed for people with disabilities often create unexpected benefits for everyone else. Approach accessibility not as a technical burden but as an extension of good design practice. Just as you wouldn't build a physical store with steps that exclude wheelchair users, don't build digital experiences that unnecessarily exclude people with disabilities. It's simply the right thing to do.

Summary

The essence of intuitive usability is creating digital experiences that don't make people think about using them. Throughout this journey, we've seen how clarity trumps cleverness, how understanding real user behavior reveals design truths, and how testing with actual humans uncovers insights that expertise alone cannot. As Krug memorably puts it, "It doesn't matter how many times I have to click, as long as each click is a mindless, unambiguous choice." The true power of usability-focused design lies not just in smoothing technical interactions but in showing respect for users' time, attention, and dignity. When we eliminate needless obstacles—whether confusing navigation, cluttered visual hierarchies, or accessibility barriers—we create spaces where people can focus on their goals rather than the interfaces meant to serve them. Your next step is refreshingly simple: find something you've created, put it in front of real users, and watch what happens. The insights you gain from even one person struggling with your design will provide clearer direction than hours of internal debate or theoretical analysis.

About Author

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Steve Krug

Steve Krug (pronounced "kroog") is best known as the author of Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, now in its third edition with over 600,000 copies in print.His second book is the usability testing handbook Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems.The books were based on the 20+ years he spent as a usability consultant for a wide variety of clients like Apple, Bloomberg.com, Lexus.com, NPR, the International Monetary Fund, and many others.His consulting firm, Advanced Common Sense ("just me and a few well-placed mirrors") is based in Chestnut Hill, MA.Steve currently spends most of his time writing, teaching usability workshops, and watching old movies on tv.

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