The Design of Everyday Things

This is a guest review from my eldest son, Deron:

Have you ever been unable to figure out how to work an appliance, a remote control, a computer program, or even a door. You might blame yourself or your ineptness with all things mechanical and computer. Author Donald Norman says to not blame yourself, blame the designers.

Bad design is serious stuff. It's not just dropping that call you were trying to transfer on the high-tech office phone system. Human error is often the cause of a plane crash, a ship collision, or a nuclear power plant accident. The human in "human error" isn't always the operator, but sometimes the equipment designer.

This book defines the principles of a user-centered approach to design. This approach puts usability over aesthetics. Not that a product shouldn't be beautiful, but usability should always trump beauty where they conflict.

One principle that he describes is affordance. An object should give you a clue as to how to use it. A metal plate on a door tells you to push, not pull. Some doors have push bars that are symmetrical across the door. This door cries out push, but which side: the right or the left? Norman goes over each principle in detail and gives examples that exemplify and violate the principle.

Norman also discusses the role of culture and customs in design. If you turn the steering wheel clockwise, the car will turn right. You can expect that to be true if you were on a boat. In this case, the boat's wheel in no way indicates which way the boat will turn if you turn the wheel clockwise as affordance would dictate. It is purely customary, and a completely valid way to design. In fact, to go against customs could be disastrous. (Incidentally, a recent article claims that the clash of two different steering systems played a crucial part in the sinking of the Titanic. Talk about the consequences of bad design.)

There is far more in this book than I can write about. I found it incredibly interesting. It is a must for anyone studying design; and not just for industrial designers, this book is instructional for both web site and computer application interface designers. For others, it could be an interesting read if you'd like to understand the process of good design and why you push the pull open door.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

Comment: Don't be put off that this book was first published in 1986. The wisdom he imparts is for the ages. This book is a good foundation for his more recent works, such as Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things and Living with Complexity.

Donald Norman is a cognitive science professor, a former VP of Apple's Advanced Technology Group, and writes for a column for core77, and has his own site.