aoutramafalda's review against another edition
4.0
The books by publisher a book apart are always interesting. Most of them are more for web-designers, but a few can be applied to other design matters. I thought that this book was very interesting. It's very focused on questions on online surveys or questions a website does to it's users. Which questions are usually made, and how you reformulate questions for them to be more inclusive, etc. What makes this even more interesting is the use of case studies with real cases. If you're a designer check this publisher books (I recommend [b:Design Is a Job|13574985|Design Is a Job|Mike Monteiro|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333415533s/13574985.jpg|19156792] by Mike Monteiro and [b:Just Enough Research|17236175|Just Enough Research|Erika Hall|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1379351795s/17236175.jpg|23754979] by Erica Hall).
darice's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent read! A must for everyone involved in designing and creating websites and apps.
candicodeit's review against another edition
5.0
We're so quick to build the latest app or software that we forget to be compassionate to our users. This book goes into how teams can incorporate good practices to provide a useful experience when times can be stressful. Just like we should design for emotion, when should design for compassion.
click2carney's review against another edition
4.0
Good walkthrough on how we all could add more compassion to our design and development processes.
lemonfruit's review against another edition
5.0
"The problem isn’t just inappropriately peppy copy. It’s all kinds of things: the airline that pushes so many competing and confusing messages at users that buying a ticket in an emergency becomes an exercise in frustration and failure. The form that asks for information about sensitive subjects without explaining why the service needs it or how it will be used. The hospital interface that emphasizes its world-class doctors but doesn’t tell you how to find the emergency room."
I was reading this book intermittently as an additional learning resource for my Masters in Web Design programme.
This book absolutely rocked my world. I read half as preparation before a presentation for my Major Project, in which we had to build User Personas, think about our audiences, etc. Stuff that is covered a lot in this book.
Taking the lessons I learned from just that one half, I was able to make a presentation that my professors were pleased to hear. I had quotes I pulled directly from the book to explain why I was using specific terms for the class, as this was recommended reading but most people probably didn't get around to reading it yet.
My classmates poked fun at me as I was (albeit, enthusiastically) exclaiming about the different stories and lessons in this book, the more kind decisions in design that make SO MUCH SENSE once you see it written out but no one thinks to do it!! But it really changed the way I thought of things on the web.
This is a useful resource for anyone that is studying web design, and supplements of the lessons in this book can be used across the board, as compassionate design goes beyond the digital world.
I was reading this book intermittently as an additional learning resource for my Masters in Web Design programme.
This book absolutely rocked my world. I read half as preparation before a presentation for my Major Project, in which we had to build User Personas, think about our audiences, etc. Stuff that is covered a lot in this book.
Taking the lessons I learned from just that one half, I was able to make a presentation that my professors were pleased to hear. I had quotes I pulled directly from the book to explain why I was using specific terms for the class, as this was recommended reading but most people probably didn't get around to reading it yet.
My classmates poked fun at me as I was (albeit, enthusiastically) exclaiming about the different stories and lessons in this book, the more kind decisions in design that make SO MUCH SENSE once you see it written out but no one thinks to do it!! But it really changed the way I thought of things on the web.
This is a useful resource for anyone that is studying web design, and supplements of the lessons in this book can be used across the board, as compassionate design goes beyond the digital world.
curiousmustard's review against another edition
4.0
Great read on designing with compassion. The book uses interesting examples from different companies and products to show how designing for edge cases often makes for a better experience for all users. The notion of keeping a stressed user in mind for personas was new to me, and something I hope to keep in mind on projects.
lonecayt's review against another edition
5.0
A very nuanced look at how design can effect a wide variety of people - particularly those who are considering edge cases in most senses of the phrase. The anecdotes were personal and moving. The advice was practical. The resources in the back... it's going to take me some time to get through them all, but I want to jump right in. A very good book!
fiveredhens's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
generally pretty good, but some of the user interview techniques felt pretty invasive and infantilizing to me. was also hoping for discussion about what to do when a product/service is fundamentally uncompassionate and shouldn't be sold
puzumaki's review against another edition
4.0
Incredibly important content but repetitive. I truly appreciate the author's taking their painful experiences and transforming them into powerful lessons for the web community.
happy_stomach's review against another edition
3.0
It's hard to argue against compassionate design, but this book doesn't sit entirely well with me. It seems to ignore **why** we need more compassion in design. It's not only because technology touches so many lives, all of those heartbeats, but because so much technology has led us to believe that giving away our most intimate information is OK and without consequence. It also seems that the case for compassionate design is easier to make, that stress cases are easier to identify, when talking about very targeted experiences like a period-tracking app or a government office website. Designing for stress cases for more general-use technology, say a browser or smart home technology like Alexa, seems infinitely harder and not addressed by the authors.