Reading Don’t Make Me Think
A woman sits at her computer with her hands clutching her head, clearly frustrated.
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how users walk through complex forms and systems. I think it’s appropriate that I’ve found Steve Krug’s wonderful book: Don’t Make Me Think at the same time.
I know that when I am faced with an enormous form or a lengthy online process, my mind immediately starts to wander. “How else could I be spending my time? What if I miss a step? Can I even complete this?”
I never want to assume anything about my users, or how they might be navigating the services and applications I design. They could be the most intelligent, thoughtful, thorough individuals on the planet BUT I have no idea what they might be going through and what the effect might be on their lives.
Stress in particular has been shown to negatively affect focus, memory, and behavior.
“‘The basic idea is that the brain is shunting its resources because it's in survival mode, not memory mode,’ says Dr. Ressler. This is why you might be more forgetful when you are under stress or may even experience memory lapses during traumatic events.”
If I am presenting anything to my users, I take a page out of Krug’s book and make sure that they don’t have to think! I want my users to be able to confidently skim, understand, and click instinctively (without thinking).
Reducing cognitive load for users will ensure that users who are stressed or sad or upset have a similar pleasant, straightforward experience and that they’ll be able to complete their goals at the same speed and with the same experience as my happy users.
Take a look at Don’t Make Me Think! It’s a great, quick read.
And check out Steve Krug’s website.
Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash
