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Book Review: Constructing Usable Web Menus

by John S. Rhodes 

Quick Review

Introduction

This is a book for programmers who are interested in developing better menus and navigation for web sites. It doesn't try to dive into the delicate intricacies of information architecture nor does it try to explain how to run usability tests. It is simply about helping developers create more useful menus, while at the same time using advanced techniques.

The first couple of chapters discuss some basic usability principles including 12 rules for menu usability:

1. Menus must be considerate of the user's main task.

2. Menus must be distinct from content.

3. Menus must be clearly readable (this includes visual contrast and text and icon size).

4. Menus must be easily scanned for information.

5. Menus must be easily operated.

6. Menus must behave as your target user would expect.

7. Menus must load as quickly as possible.

8. Menus must be consistent across a site.

9. Menus must put a higher premium on usability than branding.

10. Menus must be localizable.

11. Menus must be accessible to the handicapped.

12. Menus must work on multiple browsers.

Most people will quickly realize that these rules are rather generic. They apply to web sites in general and the author makes no bones about this. However, it is still good to have these ideas in plain view. After all, there are people who don't know too much about usability so this might be just what they need. Given the audience for this book, it seems like the right approach.

What is Good About the Book?

The book is very focused. As the web usability field matures this is exactly the right approach. We need to continue to dig deeper into specific usability issues. Along similar lines, it is becoming more and more important to drive usability to the edges of development and help the people that are actually doing the development work. There will always be room for usability professionals but there is no reason why developers shouldn't be spending more time thinking about how to create web sites that are easier to use.

The majority of Constructing Usable Web Menus is dedicated to exploring examples and coding issues. One thing that I really liked was that a lot of time was spent on more advanced issues such as using cascading style sheets (CSS) to build and manipulate web menus. As the web evolves and as more content is divorced from presentation, knowledge of CSS will become critical. This is something that developers will have to understand.

While I feel that some of the details of usability itself are glossed over, the in-depth information and tips on programming web menus are wonderful. I can easily name the two examples that I liked the best:

• Taking information in an SQL database, converting it to XML, and displaying it in a Flash menu

• Using PHP/MySQL to create a breadcrumb navigational trail (server-side menu creation)

Each little piece of code in the examples is well-defined and explained. While I admit to getting lost several times, I could tell that programmers would be able to really dig into the examples. When I was lost it was mainly because I read the book to understand the concepts not the programming details. If you are willing to spend the time, this means that almost any web professional could benefit from the examples. Like many other things in life, what you put in will dictate what you get out.

What is Bad About the Book?

Not much.

The main "problems" with Constructing Usable Web Menus are mostly deliberate. For example, at times the book is too advanced. Most developers will appreciate this, but I did not. Then again, I am not exactly the right audience for this book so this isn't really an issue.

I would have liked to have seen more examples of web sites that use menus effectively. The book has examples but they are mostly the ones built for the book. Significantly more profiles of web sites that use different menu systems would have been great, especially for web sites using Flash. Don't get me wrong; there are many examples in the first couple of chapters. I'm just being greedy here. I want to see more examples, that's all. The advantage of fewer examples, however, is that it keeps the book slim. We're all time pressed so maybe less is more?

I wish the book was in color since menus are so visual. There were a couple of times that color would have helped, especially with the examples in the early chapters. I'm guessing that the publisher (glasshaus) decided to go black-and-white to keep the cost of publication to a minimum. That's fair; we all like affordable books.

Perhaps the biggest issue I have with Constructing Usable Web Menus is that is seems to have a split personality. The first two chapters are very strictly about usability and the focus is not on code. The last chapters are all about code. The switch is abrupt. For example, the 12 rules mentioned above are not really mentioned in the last two-thirds of the book. I'm saying that the book is not as integrated as I would like. This is mainly because the book is short and there are four authors. There are two upsides to this. First, the editor(s) did a nice job bringing things together as much as they did. That can be tough. The second upside is that each author covered their material very well. That is, they each focused on their topics very well.

Summary

If you are a web developer and you care about building usable web menus, this book is definitely worth buying. It is a short, powerful, easy-to-read book at a fair cost. Some of the more advanced programming techniques are worth the price alone. Want my advice? Add this book to your library.

• Get the free code snippets from Constructing Usable Web Menus

• Order this book from Amazon.

Comments?  

Please send them to me:  john@webword.com  I want to know what you think about this report.

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