The design of everyday things / Don Norman.

The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition Front Cover Don Norman Hachette UK, 05-Nov-2013 - Design - 384 pages 12 Reviews Design 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. More » Preview this book » What people are saying - Write a review User ratings 5 stars 3 4 stars 6 3 stars 2 2 stars 1 1 star 0 LibraryThing Review User Review - untraveller - LibraryThing I 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 LibraryThing Review User Review - mrgan - LibraryThing DoeT isn't the world's best written book-Norman's style is too often kvetchy-casual, sounding more like a modern-day ranty blog post than a classic of academic design writing. But that is only one ... Read full review Related books The Design of Future Things Don Norman Turn Signals are the Facial Expressions of Automobiles Don Norman The Design of Future Things Don Norman Tasmanian Literary Landmarks Margaret Giordano, Don Norman Things That Make Us Smart Don Norman In Defense of Troublemakers Charlan Nemeth Lean Math: Figuring to Improve Mark R. Hamel, Michael O'Connor Innovation Management Practice Handbook Anneloes Cordia M.Sc. Packaging Design Marianne R. Klimchuk, Sandra A. Krasovec Structure and Form in Design Michael Hann The Neuroscientific Basis of Successful Design Marco Maiocchi Product Design for Modularity Ali K. Kamrani, Sa'Ed M. Salhieh, Ph.D., Sa'ed M. Salhieh Product Concept Design Turkka Kalervo Keinonen, Roope Takala Research and Theory on Workplace Aggression Nathan A. Bowling, M. Sandy Hershcovis The Hardware Startup Renee DiResta, Brady Forrest, Ryan Vinyard Selected pages Page PagePage PagePage PagePage PagePage Page Contents Preface to the Revised Edition The Psychopathology of Everyday Things The Psychology of Everyday Actions Knowledge in the Head and in the World Constraints Discoverability Human Error? No Bad Design Design Thinking Design in the World of Business Acknowledgments Discover More References Index Copyright Other editions - View all 2013 No preview 05-Nov-2013 No preview 05-Nov-2013 No preview Common terms and phrases accident action activities actually affordances allow answer appropriate asked behavior better called cause Chapter cognitive communication complex conceptual model confusion Consider constraints continually correct cultural determine devices difficult discussed display door driving easy edition emotional engineering error example experience fail Figure follow functions goal hand happened head human ideas important industrial interaction keyboard keys knowledge lead light look machines major manufacturing mapping means memory methods mistakes move multiple natural normal occur once operation performed perhaps person physical possible powerful present principles problem push question reason remember result rules shows signifiers simple situation slips solution sometimes sound standard switches task temperature things thought turn understanding usually wrong About the author (2013) Don Norman is a co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group, and holds graduate degrees in both engineering and psychology. His many books include Emotional Design, The Design of Future Things, and Living with Complexity. He lives in Silicon Valley, California.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 321-330) and index.

Contents Preface to the Revised Edition The Psychopathology of Everyday Things The Psychology of Everyday Actions Knowledge in the Head and in the World Constraints Discoverability Human Error? No Bad Design Design Thinking Design in the World of Business Acknowledgments Discover More References Index Copyright

"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. In this entertaining and insightful analysis, cognitive scientist Don Norman hails excellence of design as the most important key to regaining the competitive edge in influencing consumer behavior. Now fully expanded and updated, with a new introduction by the author, The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how-and why-some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them. "--