Customer Reviews

Back to the User: Creating User-Focused Web Sites (Voices (New Riders))

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had high expectations for this book, since there are many breakthroughs still to be made in the field of user experience and usability practices, but this effort is disappointingly superficial, and full of mundane observations about web users that have long been available even in the popular press. It certainly does not advance our knowledge of usability or users at all, and even the basics offered in the book have been well covered by others in several earlier books.

The authors rely on what sounds like anecdotal evidence gleaned from a single-method approach. They seem to be unaware of the wealth of research methods and tools that can be used successfully to better understand media users, and really do not seem to have any grounding in the theoretical issues that inform user experience best practices. It's well known that building complex websites requires a thoroughly multi-disciplinary knowledge base, ranging from human factors science, computer-mediated communication theory, color and design theory, branding and marketing expertise, interface design practices, and how this medium is related to other media in which users are likely to be immersed. Clearly, the authors did not do their homework so that the anecdotes they report can be placed in a more meaningful, and useful, context. The chapters meander and do not build on each other. As a case for conducting user research the book certainly does not do the job.

Most of the screenshots in the book are taken from big-brand websites, but the advice seems better suited for a novice or start-up operation. Stay away unless you are an absolute beginner or have been out of the loop altogether for the past six years.

Like one reviewer noted, this book is probably best suited for a beginner or someone who wants a broad overview of user-centered design, but personally, I don't think this is a bad thing. Sure there are other books out there like this one, but it does a good job.
The methodology given is sound and as it is very general, it can be used on any project. It covers different aspects of a website such as the homepage, site navigation, downloading issues, search, graphics, and customer support.
The book is heavily e-commerce oriented (an obvious decision) so I had to glean what I could as I am working on a non-profit web portal. My only "complaint" is that the pictures in the book don't really correspond exactly with the text. But this could be viewed as a good thing because they're able to put in even more examples related but not identical to the topic being discussed.
If you already have a very general user-centered design book, I'd pass this one over unless you just love this sort of stuff the way I do. But if you want a good start this isn't a bad choice.

In real estate, the mantra for success is location, location, location. As the writers of this book emphasize so strongly and correctly, in web development it should be user, user, user. In many ways, the psychology of online users is different from those engaging in offline activity. People who will calmly and patiently wait in line to pay for their offline store purchases will abandon an online shopping cart if they are required to make even one more click than they feel is necessary. And yet, they demand the same quality of service that only time, effort and patient understanding can provide. Very few online viewers read through the print material, generally skipping from section to section, seeing only high points of the landscape.
It is possible to chart a successful course through this mine-laden realm of cyber selling, and the authors show you how. The solution is simple to state, but difficult to execute. To be successful, you are required to enter into a dynamic feedback loop with the users of your web site, using all high quality feedback to make the experience as clean, brief and complete as possible. Anything short of that and those short-tempered, impatient people with the money to spend will relieve the bulges in their wallets elsewhere. Creating and maintaining such loops is hard, and a great deal of paper in the book is used in explaining the rights and wrongs of how it is done.
I found myself nodding my head in agreement with many of the examples of bad web design cited in the book. As an experienced online shopper and examiner of web sites, I found myself reliving some of my experiences of frustration as I tried to find out more information about a product or company.
The authors have their act together when it comes to describing how to make web sites work for the individuals at both ends of the e-commerce wire. To succeed in business, it always comes back to creating and maintaining satisfied customers, and in this book you will find many of the techniques that will satisfy the demands of online shoppers. They are a different type of consumer who will not change to accommodate you, so you must change to accommodate them.

Back to the User: Creating User-Focused Web Sites integrates Web design, navigation and content considerations with effective branding and marketing guidelines. By teaching those that create websites how to think like the people who use them, Back To The User enables web marketers and developers to create sites that people want, and which the can successfully use as on onsite consumer. 384 pp.

There are a plethora of books on web site design, too many of which contain advanced techniques for experienced web designers. This one is perfect for the new developer, especially if he or she is developing a small e-commerce system for small or side business use.

The authors focus on the user experience and how to make your site visually and functionally appealing to those users. They start by giving a 30,000 foot view of your site and your brand. The assumption is that the reader is new to both site design and possibly new to marketing principles.

Key points about this book that I like include the way the authors anticipate some readers will be augmenting an existing small business with a web presence (or starting a strictly web-based business from scratch), and the way they show how to tackle barriers and deal with issues. While this book is about user experience and how to use technology to enhance it, it is also about real world factors, including human nature, effective selling, and customer care.

The technical aspects of this book - translating a user-centric approach into a web site - are sound from aesthetic and usability perspectives. Copious use of screenshots from real sites that are models of good design and success are used throughout this book to reinforce the advice given. The writing is clear throughout, and the authors are refreshingly flexible about design choices (unlike some books which are dogmatic on a number of issues).

If you are new to web development and want an introductory text that will not lose you in technical details or advanced design discussions this is a great starting point.

Flannel. Lot's of pages padded with Americentric screenshots amounting to not a lot of practical information. Possibly a misguided attempt to promote Sachs Insights (the authors' company) it fails to provide much in the way of concrete advice on web usability, testing methodologies or HCI.