- Title: The Design of Everyday Things
- Author: Don Norman
- Summary: A classic book on the psychology of everyday objects, and how to design them better.
- Reading time: 6-8 hours
- Score: 10/10
- Published: 1988
The design of everyday things in three sentences:
- The Design of Everyday Things is a book about how to make everyday objects more user-friendly.
- It argues that good design is not about making things look good, but about making them easy to use.
- The book provides a number of practical principles for good design, based on the author’s research in cognitive psychology.
What the book is about:
The Design of Everyday Things is a book about the psychology of everyday objects, and how to design them better. The author, Don Norman, is a cognitive scientist and usability engineer, and he brings his expertise to bear on the design of everything from doorknobs to computer interfaces.
The book is divided into three parts: the first part introduces the concept of affordance, which is the relationship between an object and its user. The second part discusses the psychology of error, and how to design objects that are less likely to lead to mistakes. The third part provides a number of practical principles for good design.
Main takeaways:
- Affordance: Affordance is the relationship between an object and its user. It is the set of possible actions that a user can take with an object. For example, a doorknob affords the action of turning.
- Psychology of error: People make mistakes. It is important to design objects that are forgiving of mistakes, and that make it easy to recover from mistakes.
- Principles of good design: Norman provides a number of practical principles for good design, such as:
- Make things visible.
- Exploit natural relationships between function and control.
- Make intelligent use of constraints.
The design of everyday things recap (and book notes):
Introduction:
The book begins with a discussion of affordance. Norman argues that affordance is the key to good design. When an object’s affordance is clear, users can easily understand how to use it.
Norman also discusses the psychology of error. He argues that people make mistakes, and that it is important to design objects that are forgiving of mistakes. He also argues that it is important to make it easy for users to recover from mistakes.
Middle:
The middle of the book discusses a number of specific design principles. Norman argues that good design should:
- Make things visible. This means that users should be able to see what is going on with an object. For example, the controls on a stove should be clearly labeled and easy to see.
- Exploit natural relationships between function and control. This means that the controls on an object should be arranged in a way that makes sense to users. For example, the volume control on a radio should be located near the speaker.
- Make intelligent use of constraints. This means that the design of an object should take into account the physical and cognitive constraints of users. For example, a doorknob should be large enough for adults to grip comfortably.
Ending:
The ending of the book discusses the future of design. Norman argues that the field of design is undergoing a revolution, and that the focus is shifting from making things look good to making things easy to use. He argues that this is a positive development, and that it will lead to a world of better designed products.
Spicy takeaways š¶ļø:
- The design of everyday objects has a big impact on our lives. It can make our lives easier, or it can make them more frustrating.
- Good design is not just about making things look good. It is about making things easy to use, and about making them forgiving of mistakes.
- The field of design is undergoing a revolution, and the focus is shifting from making things look good to making things easy to use. This is a positive development, and it will lead to a world of better designed products.
The Design of Everyday Things is a classic book on the psychology of everyday objects, and how to design them better. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in design, usability, or human-computer interaction.
