Web design is a mess of ego. Usually, a designer wants to show off a flashy parallax scroll or a developer wants to implement a cutting-edge framework that takes six seconds to load a landing page. But Steve Krug didn't care about any of that when he dropped Don't Make Me Think back in 2000. He just wanted to find his way to the "Checkout" button without having a mid-life crisis. It's been over two decades. The tech has shifted from bulky CRT monitors to the glass slabs in our pockets, yet Krug’s "First Law of Usability" remains the gold standard because human brains haven't evolved as fast as our iPhones.
If a page isn't self-explanatory, it's broken. That's the core of it.
Most people treat usability like it’s some high-level academic pursuit involving heat maps and complex eye-tracking software. Krug basically laughed at that. He argued that if you have to think about where to click, the person who built the site failed you. We don't read pages; we scan them. We don't make optimal choices; we "satisfice," which is a fancy way of saying we grab the first thing that looks remotely like what we need and click it. It’s why you’ll see people clicking a logo three times just to go home instead of looking for a "Home" link.
The brutally simple philosophy of Steve Krug
Krug’s writing is refreshing because it’s short. He practiced what he preached. He didn't make you think while you were reading about not thinking. The book is built on the reality that users are in a hurry. You’re likely reading this while waiting for coffee or sitting on a bus, skipping half the sentences to find the "good stuff."
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That’s fine. Krug expects that.
He introduced the idea of the "reservoir of goodwill." Every time a user hits a snag—a broken link, a confusing form, a pop-up they can't close—the reservoir drains. If the site is beautiful and helpful, the reservoir refills. But once it’s empty? They leave. They don't just leave your site; they leave with a bad taste in their mouth for your brand. This isn't just about aesthetics. It’s about the cognitive load you’re forcing on a stranger who just wants to buy a pair of socks or check the weather.
Why we actually "muddle through" the internet
We aren't logical. We’re chaotic. One of the most famous points in Don't Make Me Think is that users don't care how things work. As long as they can get the job done, they’ll keep using a suboptimal method. Have you ever seen someone type "https://www.google.com/search?q=google.com" into the Google search bar to find a website? That's muddling through.
Designers often get frustrated by this behavior. They want users to appreciate the "elegant architecture" of the navigation. Krug says: forget it. If the user finds a weird, unintended way to use your site that works for them, that's a win, but your goal should be to make the "right" way so obvious that they don't even have to look for it.
The "Trunk Test" and why your navigation is probably failing
If I drop you into the middle of a website from a random Google search, can you tell me where you are within two seconds? Krug calls this the Trunk Test. Imagine being blindfolded, thrown in a car trunk, driven across town, and dumped in a random aisle of a grocery store. You should still be able to look around and know exactly where the exit is, where the milk is, and what store you're in.
Most websites fail this. They hide the "About Us" section in a hamburger menu or use "creative" labels like "Our Journey" instead of "Company History."
- The Site ID: Is the logo in the top left? Usually, it should be.
- The Sections: Can I see the main categories of the site immediately?
- The "You are here" indicator: Is the current page highlighted in the menu?
- The Search: Is there a box? Does it actually work?
Krug’s insistence on these "conventions" is what makes his advice timeless. Some people think conventions are boring. They want to reinvent the wheel. But as Krug points out, people spend most of their time on other websites. They've already learned how those sites work. If you change the rules on your site just to be "different," you’re just adding friction. You're making them think.
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The myth of the "Three-Click Rule"
There is a long-standing myth in web design that says users will get frustrated if they have to click more than three times to find what they want. You've probably heard it in a meeting. It sounds smart. It sounds like a solid metric.
Krug hates it.
He argues that the number of clicks doesn't matter nearly as much as how much effort each click requires. Ten easy, mindless clicks are better than one difficult, soul-searching click where the user has to guess if they're going the right way. If the "scent of information" is strong—meaning the link labels are clear and the path is obvious—users will click forever. It’s only when they lose the trail that they bail.
Testing on a budget (The 10-cent usability lab)
One of the most impactful chapters in Don't Make Me Think is about DIY usability testing. Before Krug, companies thought they needed $20,000 and a specialized lab with two-way mirrors to test a website.
Krug basically said: "Just grab three people and give them $50."
Testing with one person is 100% better than testing with zero. You don't need a representative sample of your entire target demographic to find out that your "Submit" button looks like a decorative banner. You just need to watch someone try to use your site without helping them. It’s painful. You’ll want to scream, "It’s right there!" But that silence is where the most valuable data lives.
How to run a Krug-style test today
- Find three people. Friends of friends are best. Not your mom—she’ll lie to make you feel better.
- Give them a task. "Find the return policy and see if you have to pay for shipping."
- Shut up. This is the hardest part. Do not guide them.
- Watch their mouse. Where do they hover? Where do they hesitate?
- Record it. Use a screen recorder so you can show the developers exactly where the user got stuck.
If you do this once a month, you'll be ahead of 90% of your competitors. Most companies wait until the end of a project to "test" things, which is just a fancy way of saying "fixing things when it’s too expensive to change them."
Mobile changed everything (and nothing)
When the third edition of the book came out, Krug added a section on mobile. People were worried that the rules would change because the screen got smaller. But the core principle stayed the same. In fact, mobile makes "Don't Make Me Think" even more relevant.
On a desktop, you have a bit of a buffer. Users might be willing to hunt around a little bit. On mobile, they're distracted. They’re walking, they’re in a loud room, or they have a 2% battery. You have zero room for error. Mobile forced us to get rid of the "happy talk"—those introductory paragraphs that welcome people to the site but say absolutely nothing. Krug has been telling us to "get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left" since the late 90s. Mobile finally made us listen.
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Accessibility is just good usability
A lot of people treat accessibility (A11y) as a legal checkbox. They think it's a separate thing from UX. Krug would argue they're the same thing. Making a site usable for someone with a screen reader often makes it more usable for everyone. Clear headings, high-contrast text, and descriptive link labels help the person using a screen reader and the person using a phone in bright sunlight.
It turns out that "Don't Make Me Think" applies to everyone, regardless of how they perceive the web. If your site is a maze, it doesn't matter if the walls are beautifully painted or just described in text—it’s still a maze.
Actionable steps for your own project
You don't need to be a designer to apply these rules. Whether you're a product manager, a writer, or a CEO, you can start making things easier for your users right now.
- Audit your "Happy Talk": Go to your homepage. Find the paragraph that says "We strive to provide the best-in-class solutions for our valued global partners." Delete it. Nobody reads it.
- Check your links: Are they descriptive? "Click here" is a sin. "Download the 2025 Tax Report" is a blessing.
- The Five-Second Test: Show your homepage to a stranger for five seconds. Cover it up. Ask them: "What does this company do? What can I do on this site?" If they can't answer, go back to the drawing board.
- Kill the ego: If you’re arguing over a design element because it "looks cool" but it’s confusing your test subjects, the cool factor loses. Every time.
- Use the search bar data: Look at what people are typing into your site's search box. If everyone is searching for "Pricing" and you don't have a "Pricing" link in your main nav, you are making them think way too hard.
The legacy of Don't Make Me Think isn't about a specific style of web design. It’s a mindset of radical empathy for the user. It’s acknowledging that your website is likely the 50th thing they’ve looked at today and they have exactly zero patience for your cleverness. Be clear. Be obvious. Be helpful. Then get out of their way.
Ultimately, the best interface is the one you don't notice. It’s the one that lets you get your tickets, find your answer, or buy your gift without ever feeling like you’re doing "work." That was Krug’s goal in 2000, and it’s the only goal that matters in 2026. Stop trying to be "innovative" at the expense of being functional. Your users will thank you by actually using your product.