Diversity is power on the Web. Big sites may be bigger, but smaller sites will keep scoring higher for specialized topics, both in terms of their connections with users and in terms of each visit’s commercial value.

People have to want to change before there’s any chance of helping them do so.

Windows ’98 is so similar to Windows ’95 because Apple hasn’t invented anything worth copying since 1995.

Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user’s task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.

Minimize the user’s memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate.

On average, when you ask someone to perform a task on a site, they cannot do it. It’s not their fault; it’s the designer’s fault.

Consistency is one of the most powerful usability principles: when things always behave the same, users don’t have to worry about what will happen. Instead, they know what will happen based on earlier experience.

Good information architecture makes users less alienated and suppressed by technology. It simultaneously increases human satisfaction and your company’s profits. Very few jobs allow you to do both at the same time, so enjoy.

Usability rules the web. Simply stated, if the customer can’t find a product, then he or she will not buy it.

On the Web, all advantages are temporary, and you must keep innovating to stay ahead.