A Pattern Language for Web Usability

Rating:
Summary: Ian's outdone himself this time!
Review: "Wu" is brilliant. This book is a template for wringing coherent exposition out of chaos.

While there are many web-topic books that promise to instill the secrets of designing for information access, this is the first web "how-to" I've read that actually delivers the goods. Graham has broken away from the pack by using pattern language analysis to derive guidelines for design decisions, instead of nailing rules to the door and justifying them after the fact with personal belief, or trying to bend established standards from older media to fit the demands of the web.

Graham shows more than just answers. He shows how to flay a problem down to its bones, then build a solution by piecing together related, interconnected subsolutions. By understanding the rationale and behavior of the pieces, we develop faith in the appropriateness and completeness of the solution.

The connections and relations of the 79 patterns in Wu lend themselve to graphic understanding. Dependency charts for Enhancing Usability (fig. 3.8) and Adding Detail (fig 3.13) lead you through the dance of the patterns in a way that compels to to flip to the pattern descriptions and read each one to follow the logic like an unfolding detective story.

There are no hard and fast rules here. What we have now, thanks to Ian Graham, is a set of building blocks from which we pick and choose according to our needs and to the requirements of the design problem at hand. Part 4 of the book gives examples of constructing web sites by sequentially evaluating the fit and contribution of the available patterns. This is a systems approach to usability design, with the added advantage that the system works.

This is a book you are going to wear out by constant personal reference and proxy reference. You will have to share these patterns and their lucid explanations with your partners and clients, simply because this stuff is too good to keep to yourself. You'd better buy two copies at least, because someone is sure to borrow yours and never bring it back.

Rating:
Summary: this book does not contain patterns
Review: The title of this book is promising. However, the promise does not hold. The author clearly does not understand patterns or a pattern language. The so-called patterns given here are not patterns in any way. Instead, they are an attempt at a roadmap for the design of a website. I would refer to the design methodology here as a flowchart, not as a pattern language. (And how can a computer scientist mistake a flowchart for a pattern language?)

If you ignore the dreadful attempt at creating a pattern language and simply focus on the usability, the book is marginally better. However, there is almost no focus on the user. There are merely a few rules to follow that may or may not result in a usable website.

If you are conversant with patterns from the seminal "Design Patterns" by the Gang of Four (Gamma, Helm, Johnson, Vlissides), do not purchase this book. I have not yet found a reasonable book that discusses patterns as applied specifically to web usability. Most of the books in this field either miss the point of patterns or are not conversant with usability.

If you are new to usability in general, I would recommend Barnum's "Usability Testing and Research". It gives you the necessary background, plus can be used as a handbook to design your own usability test. It is an excellent introduction to the subject.

If you are a bit more experienced with usability, but not necessarily with the special considerations for websites, I would recommend Nielsen's "Designing Web Usability". It is a much better-written book and describes the necessary concepts much better than this one.

If you are simply looking for a book because you've heard that 'patterns' and 'usability' will help your career, read through the books that I've listed above, in the order that I've listed them.

Rating:
Summary: this book does not contain patterns
Review: The title of this book is promising. However, the promise does not hold. The author clearly does not understand patterns or a pattern language. The so-called patterns given here are not patterns in any way. Instead, they are an attempt at a roadmap for the design of a website. I would refer to the design methodology here as a flowchart, not as a pattern language. (And how can a computer scientist mistake a flowchart for a pattern language?)

If you ignore the dreadful attempt at creating a pattern language and simply focus on the usability, the book is marginally better. However, there is almost no focus on the user. There are merely a few rules to follow that may or may not result in a usable website.

If you are conversant with patterns from the seminal "Design Patterns" by the Gang of Four (Gamma, Helm, Johnson, Vlissides), do not purchase this book. I have not yet found a reasonable book that discusses patterns as applied specifically to web usability. Most of the books in this field either miss the point of patterns or are not conversant with usability.

If you are new to usability in general, I would recommend Barnum's "Usability Testing and Research". It gives you the necessary background, plus can be used as a handbook to design your own usability test. It is an excellent introduction to the subject.

If you are a bit more experienced with usability, but not necessarily with the special considerations for websites, I would recommend Nielsen's "Designing Web Usability". It is a much better-written book and describes the necessary concepts much better than this one.

If you are simply looking for a book because you've heard that 'patterns' and 'usability' will help your career, read through the books that I've listed above, in the order that I've listed them.

Rating:
Summary: Good... but not quite Patterns
Review: While the book does keep it's focus on "usability" it really is about the best workflow and not about "patterns". Software patterns refer to meta-systems (such as say an eCommerce or Portal system) and how they are consctructed.

I did find the workflow techniques quite helpful though. I give him credit for putting them in print.

Rating:
Summary: Good... but not quite Patterns
Review: While the book does keep it's focus on "usability" it really is about the best workflow and not about "patterns". Software patterns refer to meta-systems (such as say an eCommerce or Portal system) and how they are consctructed.

I did find the workflow techniques quite helpful though. I give him credit for putting them in print.

Rating:
Summary: Solid patterns for building quality web sites
Review: Wu is an acronym for web usability, a group of dialects spoken in Eastern China and a common Chinese family name. Despite millions of hours spent in development and millions of words written about how to do it right, many web pages still are poorly constructed. In this book, Ian Graham sets down a set of 79 patterns that are used to describe the principles of web usability. These patterns together form a set of best practices, therefore the pattern language is called Wu.
Like most patterns, this group is a set undergoing constant improvement and refinement. Nevertheless, they are mature enough to provide a solid basis for making web sites work correctly. In general, each pattern is introduced by giving the name and a figure illustrating the pattern. Most of the figures are screenshots of web sites and others are pictures of related topics such as a still life or a cartoon. The next step is to describe the problem that is to be solved, followed by a more thorough description of the problem and a sketch of the solution. This is followed by a therefore section, which is a one paragraph summary of the solution. If applicable, the pattern is closed by a list of the sources for the pattern.
These patterns are a valuable contribution to the literature describing how to do web page development right. Succinct and yet with sufficient detail, studying them will give you perspectives on web design that you most likely have not yet considered. Reading this book is well worth the effort, and you will be rewarded by having a web site that may take less time to construct, maintain and will be easier to use. Consider it spending a little to save a lot.