Techie thread User testing

[DianaS]

Just a quicky for the techies out there. I have arrange and design some user evaluation/testing for a portal and would like recommendations of some hot texts. I've done a quick trawl of Amazon amd come up with these suggestions:-

Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design - Jill Butler; Hardcover

Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things - Donald A Norman; Hardcover

Rapid Contextual Design: A How-to Guide to Key Techniques for User-Centered Design (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies) - Jessamyn Wendell; Paperback

Paper Prototyping: Fast and Simple Techniques for Designing and Refining the User Interface - Carolyn A. Snyder; Paperback
Usually dispatched within 24 hours

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide for User Research - Mike Kuniavsky; Paperback

Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design and Conduct Effective Tests (Wiley Technical Communication Library) - J. Rubin;

Are there any other people that I should look at? There's the Neilson Norman group who were pretty hot a few years ago but are there any other up and comings that would be worth giving them the once over....

[spindr]

Just a quicky for the techies out there. I have arrange and design some user evaluation/testing for a portal and would like recommendations of some hot texts.

You mentioned Nielson, but could be useful? http://www.useit.com
My favourite was a book called "Don't Make Me Think" http://www.sensible.com

Don't know if they helped when I did www.afterfive.co.uk but I did try and use some of the colour-coding hints on the "tabbed" pages -- like Amazon does.

Cheers,
Neil.

[El Salsero Gringo]

Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things - Donald A Norman; Hardcover:

I have and have enjoyed "The Design of Everyday Things" by the same author (Basic Books, 1989, MIT Press 1998, ISBN 0-262-64037-6).