I thought my ideas would stand for good design, for objects we could use easily and efficiently-with delight and fun. That wasn’t what I had in mind when I wrote this book. Almost anything that creates unnecessary problems, my correspondents report, is a “Norman thing”: Norman doors, Norman switches, Norman shower controls. I am famous for doors that are difficult to open, light switches that make no sense, shower controls that are unfathomable. “I just found a Norman door: It was really difficult to open.”

PREFACE TO THE 2002 EDITION “Norman Doors” The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how - and why - some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them. The goal: guide the user effortlessly to the right action on the right control at the right time. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints.

The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. 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 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. Design doesn't have to complicated, which is why this guide to human-centered design shows that usability is just as important as aesthetics.Įven 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 design of everything don norman