Summary
The Design of Everyday Things was written in 1988 by Donald Norman to point out the many errors in product design of his time, and to offer suggestions on how to eliminate these errors and improve the collective user experience. Most of the book talks about how faulty design is a real problem, and that it is all around us everyday. Through numerous anecdotes - some humorous, others grave - he recounts experiences where good and bad design made a significant impact on the user experience. One of the author's purposes is to train the reader to observe and recognize good and bad design on their own, and to understand that problems they have with everyday products are almost always not their own fault, but rather the fault of the designers of the product. The remainder of the book is dedicated to offering suggestions on how to improve design. Norman proposes a number of design principles such as conceptual models and mapping, feedback, and constraints and affordances that can be worked into the design of everyday objects to make them easier to use.
Discussion
I liked that the author didn't simply point out product flaws, but rather offered suggestions for improving them. Norman at times appears to assume that people are generally very inept and must be protected from themselves. I think a product's success depends not only on the designer but also on the manufacturer, the seller, and the user. Norman, however, claims that we should all cast the blame at the designer. Admittedly, in many of the cases described in the book, the designer was at fault. And yes, designing by Norman's prescribed principles can very likely lead to better products. But to suggest that the designer is always solely responsible for the success and usability of a product is quite a stretch indeed.
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