Designing Web Usability
Jakob Nielsen
420 pages, including index
published in 1999

Jakob Nielsen is an usability expert who has e.g. worked for Sun on the design and redesign of their website and intranet, starting with their original version. He is one of the leading experts in usability, particularly web usability. His column on the subject was started in 1995 and can be found at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/.

This book is a culmination of all his work, condensing the advice from his column and the experience he has gained in the field. In nine chapters he lays out the relevance of web usability, the importance in making usability a focus in werb design, the particular usability issues the web has and establishes guidelines on creating a good, usable website.

I got this book from the library a week ago, though I was really looking for a php4 book. I'd been reading Nielsen's column on his website anyway and much of the book wasn't new to me, but seeing it all in one place was still pretty useful, especially since he makes lavish use of examples culled from the web.

The book is written in a clear, simple style and doesn't presume or need any technical knowledge of either website design or usability. Every rule he introduces is explained, often by using real examples. I don't agree with all of his conclusions, but those are just minor details. On the whole I think everybody who designs websites should read and digest this book, even if you're just creating your own personal site. Keep in mind though that the book is slanted towards commercial websites and speaks e.g. about consumers, not readers.