Book Club – Don’t Make Me Think with Author Steve Krug

In this month’s Aviation Marketing Book Club, we had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think—a fan favorite and one of the most practical books on usability out there. This was not only the most expensive book we’ve featured in our book club this year, but also one of the most worth it. Steve joined us for a lively, informal discussion that touched on website usability, user testing for niche audiences, mobile-first strategies, and why broken links are more than just a tech problem—they’re a usability issue. Whether you’re in aviation marketing or just someone trying to build a better digital experience, this session is packed with gems. Let’s dive in!

⏱️ Timestamps (Chapters)

0:00 – Welcome & Introductions

0:47 – Why This Book? Why This Guest?

1:03 – Round-the-Room Introductions

2:08 – Ali Shares Recent Certification

2:27 – Ben’s Background in Web Development

3:43 – Ben’s Early Internet Work & Perspective

5:14 – Welcoming Steve Krug

5:50 – Steve’s Start in Usability & Tech Writing

7:43 – Contextual Inquiries & Early User Testing

9:18 – Why Steve Wrote Don’t Make Me Think

10:13 – What is Information Architecture?

11:19 – How IA & Usability Have Evolved

12:14 – Comparing Steve’s Book with Jakob Nielsen’s

13:50 – Using Nielsen’s Checklists in Real-World Audits

15:22 – Usability Testing for Niche or Small Audiences

16:32 – Introducing Rocket Surgery Made Easy

18:33 – Why Fixing is Harder Than Finding Problems

20:21 – Addressing “Intractable” Usability Issues

23:05 – Recruiting Users: Common Barriers

25:08 – Real-World Challenges of Recruiting Testers

26:45 – The Value of “Anyone with a Pulse” Testing

28:41 – Making Small, Impactful Website Changes

30:11 – Common Issues Missed by Website Creators

31:09 – Expert Reviews: A Simple, Powerful Method

32:56 – Broken Elements = Usability Problems

34:16 – Phone Support as a Usability Feedback Loop

37:32 – Shift from “Fixing” to “Improving” in Web Strategy

38:50 – Big Organizations, Release Cycles & Transparency

41:17 – Avoiding Perfectionism: Just Make it Better

42:08 – Strategic Intent vs. Usability (Ben’s Question)

44:56 – Real-World Subscription Story (Boston Globe)

48:42 – Barriers to Canceling: A Usability Disaster

50:16 – Workarounds: Credit Cards, Escalation Scripts

52:35 – Final Question (Mobile Usability & AI in Web Dev)

55:09 – Mobile Testing: Same Process, Different Tools

57:04 – Tools & Challenges for Mobile Screen Sharing

58:17 – Wrap-Up & Book Club Preview

59:09 – Final Thoughts on Steve’s Work & Nielsen

59:24 – Thank You & Next Month’s Book