The more users' expectations prove right, the more they will feel in control of the system and the more they will like it.

At most project meetings, everyone has a seat at the table except the poor victims who will have to operate the technology.

Diversity is power on the Web. Big sites may be bigger, but smaller sites will keep scoring higher for specialized topics, both in terms of their connections with users and in terms of each visit's commercial value.

Clear content, simple navigation and answers to customer questions have the biggest impact on business value. Advanced technology matters much less.

Consistency is one of the most powerful usability principles: when things always behave the same, users don't have to worry about what will happen. Instead, they know what will happen based on earlier experience.

People have to want to change before there's any chance of helping them do so.

To design an easy-to-use interface, pay attention to what users do, not what they say. Self-reported claims are unreliable, as are user speculations about future behavior.