Donald Norman
I approached this book as a pop-culture assessment of some reasons why many everyday objects cause befuddlement and seem to be designed poorly. I believe that Norman may aspire to this, but this is inherently a very thorough look at some design principles that is tailored more for designers than the public; this is not to say that non-designers won't get anything out of the book, but its numerous examples and occasional use of lingo leads to an arid feel at times. Norman also, sadly, appears to be one of those authors who believes he is launching a cultural zeitgeist in the most clever way ever; his snarky remarks about design awards are funny the first time, but thereafter he appears to be consumed with a bitterness that clouds the humor. The repetition of jokes mirrors the endless, almost mind-numbing repetition of the book's major themes, so that while they are useful they see almost no new or original applications after around the first chapter.
This is unfortunate, because Norman has hit on an interesting fact of everyday life, and certainly there is much more to be made out of this problem and more suggestions made than the few he repeats ad nauseum throughout the book. All of these factors combine to make Norman seem above all a bit unprofessional, with subject matter perhaps better suited to a more limited treatment. This feeling of naivite is assisted by Norman's utter fascination with, and complete lack of understanding of, computers; it's hard to fault writers for not foreseeing the Internet or the fact that there is a whole new field of study called human-computer interaction that focuses largely on designing good computer systems, but when he fawns repeatedly over a portable calendar (that can be hooked up to other computers through wireless infrared!) the book gets a bit silly to modern readers. Additionally, the book is rather poorly designed; Norman talks at length about standardization and about making visual cues make sense, but many of the book's sections are separated by right-aligned bold headings, which I have yet to see anywhere else, and the pattern of sub-sections seems ad-hoc and doesn't make sense. It's a pity Norman's publisher didn't follow the advice in the book.
Overall, however, The Design of Everyday Things is worth reading, at least for its first and final chapters. What Norman does well is extract his design principles from the environment and apply them to other similar situations, making design seem accessible and provoking readers (successfully) to re-think designs around them. While his prose can become a bit smug, even his notes about computers aren't entirely foreign to modern readers, and his focus on basic technology while only stepping occasionally into the realm of the ever-changing is a solid decision that gives the book some staying power. After all, designers are still making the same mistakes. Readers of The Design of Everyday Things are apt to shout, "YES!" several times throughout the book at good examples, even if Norman's book is best suited to a shorter format and the prose disappoints.
Grade: B
This is unfortunate, because Norman has hit on an interesting fact of everyday life, and certainly there is much more to be made out of this problem and more suggestions made than the few he repeats ad nauseum throughout the book. All of these factors combine to make Norman seem above all a bit unprofessional, with subject matter perhaps better suited to a more limited treatment. This feeling of naivite is assisted by Norman's utter fascination with, and complete lack of understanding of, computers; it's hard to fault writers for not foreseeing the Internet or the fact that there is a whole new field of study called human-computer interaction that focuses largely on designing good computer systems, but when he fawns repeatedly over a portable calendar (that can be hooked up to other computers through wireless infrared!) the book gets a bit silly to modern readers. Additionally, the book is rather poorly designed; Norman talks at length about standardization and about making visual cues make sense, but many of the book's sections are separated by right-aligned bold headings, which I have yet to see anywhere else, and the pattern of sub-sections seems ad-hoc and doesn't make sense. It's a pity Norman's publisher didn't follow the advice in the book.
Overall, however, The Design of Everyday Things is worth reading, at least for its first and final chapters. What Norman does well is extract his design principles from the environment and apply them to other similar situations, making design seem accessible and provoking readers (successfully) to re-think designs around them. While his prose can become a bit smug, even his notes about computers aren't entirely foreign to modern readers, and his focus on basic technology while only stepping occasionally into the realm of the ever-changing is a solid decision that gives the book some staying power. After all, designers are still making the same mistakes. Readers of The Design of Everyday Things are apt to shout, "YES!" several times throughout the book at good examples, even if Norman's book is best suited to a shorter format and the prose disappoints.
Grade: B
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