Essay · ~6 min read

The $300 Million Button

Luke Wroblewski · LukeW / User Interface Engineering Free Beginner

The most memorable proof that watching users pays. A single confusing choice on a checkout form was quietly costing a retailer a fortune, and it only surfaced when the team observed real people stumble on it. Read it when you need to convince yourself, or a co-founder, that an afternoon of watching users is worth it.

  • One confusing button silently blocked huge numbers of users
  • The fix was obvious only after watching people fail
  • Small usability problems can carry very large costs

It answers 2 questions

  1. How do I know if my product is confusing to users?
  2. Why does good design actually matter for an early-stage startup?

Read with it

  1. The most accessible, practical intro to usability ever written, you can read it in a weekend and immediately fix your product.... sensible.com Book · ~200 pages Don't Make Me Think, Revisited Steve Krug
  2. The single most-cited usability framework in the field, from the definitive UX research authority. A checklist you can hold... Nielsen Norman Group Article · ~15 min read 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design Jakob Nielsen
  3. This is the piece that gives you permission to stop waiting for a big study. Nielsen shows that just five people uncover... Nielsen Norman Group Article · About a 10 minute read Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users Jakob Nielsen
  4. Free to read online, with chapters like "Build Less" and "Half, Not Half-Assed" that name your exact trap. It argues that... Basecamp / 37signals Book · Free online, ~4 hr Getting Real (free to read online) Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson (37signals)
  5. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  6. Design tactics written specifically for developers and non-designers who need to ship good-looking UI without a design... refactoringui.com Book · ~250 pages Refactoring UI Adam Wathan & Steve Schoger
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