USERS LIKE MINDLESS CHOICES

<aside> 💡 It doesn’t matter how many times I have to click, as long as each click is a mindless, unambiguous choice.

—Krug’s second law of usability

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• What really counts is not the number of clicks it takes me to get to what I want (although there are limits), but rather how hard each click is—the amount of thought required and the amount of uncertainty about whether I’m making the right choice.
• It’s safe to say that users don’t mind a lot of clicks as long as each click is painless and they have continued confidence that they’re on the right track—following what’s often called the “scent of information.”
• Links that clearly and unambiguously identify their target give off a strong scent that assures users that clicking them will bring them nearer to their “prey.” Ambiguous or poorly worded links do not.
• I think the rule of thumb might be something like “three mindless, unambiguous clicks equal one click that requires thought.”
• Of course, there are exceptions. For instance, if I’m going to have to drill down through the same path in a site repeatedly, or if the pages are going to take a long time to load, then the value of fewer clicks increases.

Now I’ve got to scan all this text and work out whether I’m a subscriber but not a member, or a member, or neither one. And then I’ll have to dig up the account number or the password that I used or decide whether it’s worth joining.

At this point, the question I’m asking myself is probably changing from “How do I answer this question?” to “Just how interested am I in this article?”

The New York Times makes the same kind of choice seem much easier by not confronting you with all the details at once. Making an initial selection (to log in or to see your options for subscribing) takes you to another screen where you see only the relevant questions or information for that selection

Book Recommendation: Forms that Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability. — Caroline Jarrett

Some assistance may be required

When you can’t avoid giving me a difficult choice, you need to go out of your way to give me as much guidance as I need—but no more.

This guidance works best when it’s

• Brief: The smallest amount of information that will help me
• Timely: Placed so I encounter it exactly when I need it
• Unavoidable: Formatted in a way that ensures that I’ll notice it

Examples are tips adjacent to form fields, “What’s this?” links, and even tool tips.