The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded EditionDesign doesn't have to complicated, which is why this guide to human-centered design shows that usability is just as important as aesthetics. Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious -- even liberating -- book, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The problems range from ambiguous and hidden controls to arbitrary relationships between controls and functions, coupled with a lack of feedback or other assistance and unreasonable demands on memorization. The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints. The goal: guide the user effortlessly to the right action on the right control at the right time. The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how -- and why -- some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - martialalex92 - LibraryThingVery thorough and well formulated. Guy is an expert in his field, and he manages to keep it interesting despite some of the dry subject matter Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - untraveller - LibraryThingI enjoyed much of the book. Problems were: it reads like a textbook, more examples are needed, it is definitely pro business and pro engineering - two activities I am not fond of, and the author is ... Read full review
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accident action activities affordances airplane automation automobile behavior blame burners cause Chapter cognitive complex conceptual model confusion conscious constraints creeping featurism cultural devices difficult display door driving easy emotional engineering Everyday Things example experience fail faucet feedback Figure Gimli Glider goal Gulf of Evaluation Gulf of Execution happened human error human-centered design important interaction James Reason keyboard keys knowledge Lego light machines manufacturers memory memory-lapse mistakes mode error move multiple natural mappings normal operation people’s person physical pilots poka-yoke possible principles problem prospective memory psychology push QWERTY remember result root cause analysis screen signal signifiers simple situation slips solution sometimes sound standard stove Swiss cheese model switches task temperature thermostat tion turn understand usable videophone visceral wrong
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition |
| Author | Don Norman |
| Edition | revised |
| Publisher | Basic Books, 2013 |
| ISBN | 0465072992, 9780465072996 |
| Length | 384 pages |
| Subjects | › › Business & Economics / Industries / Retailing Design / Product Psychology / Applied Psychology |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |