Customer Reviews

Making the Web Work: Designing Effective Web Applications

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An impeccably-organized encyclopedia of web design.

If I had to base an entire web design class on a single book this would be the one. Bob Baxley's "Making the Web Work" is easily the most comprehensive manual for applying good design to create a great user experience on the web. This book has both breadth and depth-just look at the table of contents. Regardless of your level of web design proficiency you will find more than your money's worth of useful insight here (even if you have already read just about every other web design book!).

One thing I especially like about this book is that Bob doesn't provide a single solution for a design challenge, but takes time to present and evaluate (pro/con and why) several alternatives. He doesn't just feed you the "right" answers the way Jakob Nielsen does in his "Designing Web Usability." Bob's approach will help you gain a thorough understanding of the options and make informed design decisions.

The two case studies of Amazon and Ofoto included at the end of the book are the most comprehensive I have seen: they're about 30 pages each!

About the only gripe I have is that Bob takes the liberty of using lesser known versions of some terms without providing their more known synonyms. For example, while Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville have all but established the terms "ambiguous" and "exact" for the two types of classification schemes, Bob prefers to call them "subjective" and "objective," respectively, without providing the alternative terms. Similarly, "organization scheme" is replaced by "classification scheme", and "organization structure" with "model of association." My IA students have enough difficulty keeping one set of terms straight!

Overall, however, this one serious web design book. Highly recommended. Other books I liked: "Interface Design for Ecommerce Applications" by Paul Gokin (search for this one on the web), "Designing Web Site Interface Elements" by Eric Eaton, and "Submit Now: Designing Persuasive Websites" by Andrew Chak.

Have you noticed how some web sites are warm, inviting, and easy to use, but using other sites can be a difficult and even frustrating experience? The difference lies in their design, the topic of Bob Baxley's seminal, well-researched book Making the Web Work: Designing Effective Web Applications.

Good design is not a hit-or-miss issue. Mr. Baxley provides a comprehensive, in-depth framework for exploring the nine dimensions of web application design space: the Conceptual Model, the Structural Model, the Organizational Model, Viewing and Navigation, Editing and Manipulation, User Assistance, Layout, Style, and Text. Each layer is presented in an easy-to-understand manner, always from the point of view of what "works" for the user. Mr. Baxley uses examples taken directly from the web to illustrate his points: I found myself returning to some of my favorite sites to see how the designers handled issues ranging from their choice of conceptual model (magazine-style catalogs versus reference-style catalogs) to navigation choices to layout alignment.

This book is much more than just a book on usability, layout, graphics or web page controls. It is rather a comprehensive approach to web application design, thoughtfully and humorously argued, and interspersed throughout with tips and techniques for the would-be designer. Although it would be a great text for a course on advanced web design, it will become a well-thumbed and indispensable addition to every web developer's library.

Despite the ubiquity of the internet, the art and craft of designing web applications - defined by the author as a web site that stores and manipulates data unique to each of its users (for example online stores and sites offering financial or other on-line services) - is an evolving field. MAKING THE WEB WORK offers a thorough methodology for anybody tackling such a task, be that the actual designer of a web application, or the product managers and engineers working with (and sometimes without) the designer. Even experienced web application designers will find food for thought.

This book is tattered from referencing it and has many passages underlined. Unlike some usability books it is organized in a manner that moves you through the design problem space. It begins with setting definitions and examining the possible forces behind these projects. Then Baxley dives into the meat of the design process through a 3 layered approach. He covers all the bases - from the user point of view to navigation, Help systems, forms, layout and shows how it alI fits into the models within the layers. It is well written, making points clear without repetitive passages. I would recommend this book for beginners and old hands. It is a great book, written following the usability rules he is propounding.

As a veteran user interface design practitioner and university instructor, I found Bob Baxley's book "Making the Web Work" a valuable addition to my personal reference library, and a practical resource tool for Web design courses.

He organizes the book around the elements of user interface design, which is structure, behavior, and presentation. Simultaneously, Bob leads the reader from conceptually organizing a Web-based user interface to interactive and layout issues. The numerous real-world examples within the book effectively illustrate the described design approaches and techniques, and many are applicable beyond the scope of Web-based user interfaces.

Overall the book is a very readable and comprehensive look at how to design better Web-based applications.

The back cover of the book states: "Most people involved in the design and specifications of Web applications, whether they're visual designers, engineers, or product marketers do not have a method for understanding or prioritizing design issues." I agree - however, I would add that those of us who are involved in usability testing / user research should also be added to the list. As a consultant working in the field of user research, I give my clients this book - the main reason being that it gives us a common vocabulary and way to think about how to conduct usability testing or user research at any stage of the Web development process. While not written to do so, the book actually provides a "template" for what needs to be tested / researched at each stage. This type of organized thinking can only help those of us in the trenches provide meaningful feedback. One request of the author - a sequel entitled "Applying the Principals of Making the Web Work to User Research" - (while not necessarily the best title - you get the idea!)

This is an excellent survey of the considerations involved in designing interactive Web applications. "Making the Web Work" outlines a sound methodology and process for designing great interactive Web sites, as well as offering specific practical design suggestions and guidelines.

Baxley draws upon proven user interface practices and principles, real-world examples, and case studies to present elegant solutions to common Web application issues. In particular, the chapters on conceptual, structural, and organizational models will benefit anyone who is embarking on designing a Web application.

If you're new to Web application design, "Making the Web Work" is a great introduction to the field; if you're already an experienced designer, you'll find yourself referring to this book again and again for practical suggestions and reminders of what it takes to provide your users with a satisfying and effective Web experience.

Mr. Baxley has an insightful perspective illustrated in his "Universal Model of a User Interface." He simplifies the process of moving from conceptual to concrete interface design by deconstructing applications into two separate layers. The top layer contains the structure, behavior & presentation & the bottom layer contains more granular aspects of the top three. By explaining the key factors in designing each of these layers he makes it easier to understand & integrate all the aspects critical to interface design. If you don't have time to read Rosenfeld & Morville's Information Architecture, be sure to read this book as he covers a lot of key IA issues too, though he prefers to call it the "organizational model" behind an application.

There are many rules to follow as you start the construction of a web page. However, they are still only a starting point, as much of what makes a web page work is in the realm of art appreciation. Both areas are covered in this book, as Baxley deconstructs the organization of web sites. He splits them into three main components: structure, behavior and presentation.
The structure section is split into three subsections:

* The conceptual model.
* The structural model.
* The organizational model.

The behavior section is split into three subsections:

* Viewing and navigation.
* Editing and manipulation.
* User assistance.

The presentation section is split into three subsections:

* Layout.
* Style.
* Text.

The explanations of these principles are illustrated with examples of both the good and bad, which is necessary to get the point across. Each of the actions that you must allow the user to perform are covered, with solid pointers as to how to present them in a manner where all possible courses are clear to the user. Viewers of web sites show very little patience as they browse, and in this environment, subtle differences become magnified. Those differences that make a difference are described, as well as how they all relate to each other to make up the total experience delivered by a site.
The design of web sites is still as much an art as an area of engineering, so while there are rules, they are only starting points rather than end points. Baxley shows you where to start and some of the main ideas of the possible branches to follow as you build a site. Web design is an area of art, where nontraditional approaches can generate new paradigms, and Baxley treats it like that.

Excellent resource for Web professionals (both beginners and seasoned).

The book takes you step by step on a very structured, methodical, consistent and yet very engaging exploration of what it takes to create a great user experience on the Web.

Author strikes the right balance between outlining the general principles and providing concrete practical recipies. Each design idea is illustrated using examples of real web sites and applications. The book not only pinpoints common mistakes made by Web UI designers but suggests great ways of correcting them.