Let's admit it. Things will go wrong online. No matter how carefully you design a site, no matter how much testing you do, customers still encounter problems like form errors, file not found pages, out of stock items, and inaccurate search results. So how do you handle these inevitable breakdowns ? With defensive design. This book shows you how with clearly explained guidelines, examples, and "Head to Head" comparisons. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to increase usability and customer satisfaction.
Chicago-based 37signals (www.37signals.com) is a team of web design and usability specialists dedicated to simple, and usable, customer-focused design. 37signals popularized the concept of contingency/defensive design in various articles and white papers and via the web site DesignNotFound.com. The team also has conducted workshops and presentations on the topic for a variety of conferences and companies.
37signals clients include Microsoft, Qwest, Monster.com, Clear Channel, Panera Bread, Meetup, Performance Bike, and Transportation.com. Work has been featured in the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Washington Post, on CNN, and in numerous other publications. Team members have appeared as featured speakers at AIGA Risk/Reward, Activ8, South By Southwest, HOW Design Conference, ForUse, and other conferences. Additional information can be found at www.37signals.com.
This book is authored by Matthew Linderman with Jason Fried. Other members of the 37signals team include Ryan Singer and Scott Upton.