O'Reilly
June 30, 2011

Designed for Use: Create Usable Interfaces for Applications and the Web--New from Pragmatic Bookshelf

Designed for Use

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Raleigh, NC—Have you ever been angry at your computer or cell phone? Frustrated that you couldn't do what you needed to do? We've got the solution for whatever product you're building.

In Designed for Use: Create Usable Interfaces for Applications and the Web (Pragmatic Bookshelf, $35.00), author Lukas Mathis shows you how to design applications and websites that people will not only use, but will absolutely love.

Aimed at designers, developers, and product managers, this book helps those who are charged with what sometimes seems like an impossible task: making sure products work the way your users expect them to.

Weaving together hands-on techniques and fundamental concepts, you'll learn how to make usability the cornerstone of your design process. Each technique chapter explains a specific approach you can use during the design process to make your product more user friendly, such as storyboarding, usability tests, and paper prototyping. Idea chapters are concept-based: how to write usable text, how realistic your designs should look, when to use animations.

Filled with illustrations and supported by psychological research, you'll get a deep dive into research, design, and implementation—the essential stages in designing usable interfaces for applications and websites. Lukas inspires you to look at design in a whole new way, explaining exactly what to look for, and what to avoid, in creating products that people will be excited about.

Available in epub, mobi, and PDF direct from the publisher and in paperback from fine bookstores worldwide.

Advance Praise
"An encyclopedic narrative of the life cycle of software UX design, stuffed with best practices, timely examples, and solid design methodologies. I wish I had it years ago!"
—Keith Lang, COO and interaction designer, Skitch

"This book is smooth and pleasing like Swiss chocolate and has the eloquence of a cherry blossom. It's a must-read and real gem for everybody who is eager to learn about usability."
—Michael D. Trummer, Senior engagement manager, Appway, Inc.

"It's hard to write about usability concepts without sounding overly academic, but that's exactly what Lukas has done. This book is a must-read if you are familiar with basic usability concepts and are ready to learn more."
—Jon Bell, Interaction designer, Windows Phone

For a review copy or more information please email pragprogpr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

About the Author

Lukas Mathis writes essays on design and usability at ignorethecode.net, and he writes about video games for wisegamers.ch, a Swiss gaming news site. His essays on design have been published on sites like UX Magazine and Splashnology. He has created a number of online tools for UI design, among them iphonemockup.lkmc.ch, a collaborative iPhone UI mockup designer. He works as a developer and user interface designer for Swiss software company Numcom Software, creator of workflow management software.

View Lukas Mathis's full profile page.

Additional Resources
For more information about the book, including: errata, discussions, full table of contents, excerpts from the book and a video from the author, see the catalog page for Designed For Use.
Designed for Use Designed for Use
Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf
By Lukas Mathis
Print ISBN: 9781934356753  
Pages: 344
Print Price: $35.00  
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

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