Steve was a brilliant software engineer, but his latest project—a grocery delivery app—was a labyrinth of "innovation." To find a carton of milk, a user had to navigate through three animated splash screens and a categorized "lifestyle" menu. Steve called it "immersive."
His mentor, Maya, walked over and dropped a slim, orange book on his desk: Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug. Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense ...
Steve smiled. That was the highest compliment he could ever receive. Steve was a brilliant software engineer, but his
"Read this," she said. "The user's brain is like a battery. Every time they have to wonder 'Can I click this?' or 'Where is the home button?', you’re draining that battery. By the time they find the milk, they’re too tired to buy it." That was the highest compliment he could ever receive
"That was easy," she shrugged. "I didn't even have to think about it."
He chopped his "Welcome to the Future of Freshness" intro down to a simple search bar.
He imagined a user being blindfolded, spun around, and dropped onto a random page of his app. He realized they’d have no idea where they were. He added clear breadcrumbs and a persistent "Home" icon.