Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems

Chapter 7. Some boring checklists

And why you should use them even if, like me, you don’t really like checklists

Ready when you are, C.B.!¹

—ANOTHER VERY OLD JOKE

¹ Hence the old joke: Legendary director of biblical epics Cecil B. DeMille was filming a hugely expensive scene involving chariots, collapsing fiery towers, and thousands of extras, all shot in one take with a dozen cameras. When the action was over and DeMille had called “Cut!” he shouted through his megaphone to the camera supervisor on a nearby hill, “Did you get all that?” From the top of the hill, the supervisor waved back and shouted enthusiastically, “Ready when you are, C.B.!”

I’m not really a fan of checklists. To me, checklists always imply a rigid process, and frankly, ...