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Defensive Design for the Web: How to Improve Error Messages, Help, Forms, and Other Crisis Points 37signals (Matthew Linderman with Jason Fried). 2004. Indianapolis, IN. New Riders. [ISBN 0-7357-1410-X. 246 pages, including index. $24.99 USD (softcover).]
Defensive design for the Web describes ways to improve how well your Web site performs, based on your users' interpretation of good performance. The authors' main point is that you can avoid disgruntled users and unhappy managers if you consider and accommodate the types of things that might go wrong. For instance, any online shopper can remember an error message that explained nothing and offered no help. This book is written clearly and is based on common sense. It explains and shows examples of forty guidelines. The numerous illustrations (mostly screenshots) comprise about half of the book.
Authors Matthew Linderman and Jason...