B
All booksBook details
Cover of The Design of Everyday Things

The Design of Everyday Things

Don Norman

TechnologyPsychology
Publish date
1988
Publisher
Hachette Audio
Description
"Even 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 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. 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 Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints. The goal: guide the user effortlessly to the right action on the right control at the right time. In this entertaining and insightful analysis, cognitive scientist Don Norman hails excellence of design as the most important key to regaining the competitive edge in influencing consumer behavior. Now fully expanded and updated, with a new introduction by the author, The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how-and why-some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them. ".
Explore CitationsAdd to Want to Read

Where to read & listen

Amazon / KindleRakuten KoboAudibleBookshop.orgLibro.fmGoogle Play

This page may contain affiliate links. We may earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Book data & covers provided by Google Books and Open Library. Connections and summaries generated with Gemini AI.

Report incorrect data

Books cited in The Design of Everyday Things

Suggested by AI, not verified against the full text. Check the original book before using them as a source.

  1. Human Error

    James Reason

    Citation

    Informs Norman's taxonomy of human error, specifically distinguishing between slips and mistakes.

    High relevanceExplore

  2. The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception

    James J. Gibson

    Citation

    Provides the foundational ecological concept of affordances, which Norman adapted and popularized for design.

    High relevanceExplore

  3. The Sciences of the Artificial

    Herbert A. Simon

    Citation

    Influences Norman's view of design as an applied cognitive science and bounded rationality.

    High relevanceExplore

  4. Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies

    Charles Perrow

    Citation

    Examines system complexity and human fallibility, cited in Norman's discussions on industrial catastrophic errors.

    High relevanceExplore

  5. Cognitive Engineering

    Donald A. Norman and Stephen W. Draper (Eds.)

    Citation

    Norman's preceding collaborative academic volume establishing user-centered system design principles.

    High relevanceExplore

  6. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action

    Donald A. Schön

    Citation

    Cited regarding the iterative, reflective nature of the design process and problem solving.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  7. Designing Interactions

    Bill Moggridge

    Citation

    Referenced in later editions to discuss the evolution and history of interaction design practice.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  8. A Pattern Language

    Christopher Alexander et al.

    Citation

    Referenced regarding human-centered architectural design solutions and standardized interaction paradigms.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  9. Plans and the Structure of Behavior

    George A. Miller, Eugene Galanter, and Karl H. Pribram

    Citation

    Provides foundational cognitive psychology background for Norman's seven-stage action cycle.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  10. The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction

    Stuart K. Card, Thomas P. Moran, and Allen Newell

    Citation

    Cited as a cornerstone work in applying cognitive psychology models directly to system interaction.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  11. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

    Edward R. Tufte

    Citation

    Referenced for principles of clarity, mapping, and the effective visual communication of information.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  12. In the Age of the Smart Machine: The Future of Work and Power

    Shoshana Zuboff

    Citation

    Cited regarding the psychological impact of computerized automation on human operators.

    Medium relevanceExplore

There may be more citations. We show up to 12 per book to keep the list manageable.

Recommendations

  • Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

    Steve Krug

    AI Recommendation

    Translates Norman's foundational usability and mapping principles into pragmatic web and interface design rules.

    High relevanceExplore

  • About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design

    Alan Cooper

    AI Recommendation

    A comprehensive practical guide applying goal-directed interaction design derived from Norman's human-centered philosophy.

    High relevanceExplore

  • The Laws of Simplicity

    John Maeda

    AI Recommendation

    Explores how to balance simplicity and complexity in design, expanding on Norman's usability axioms.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  • Universal Principles of Design

    William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler

    AI Recommendation

    An illustrated cross-disciplinary reference documenting many of the core psychological design laws Norman champions.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  • 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People

    Susan Weinschenk

    AI Recommendation

    Bridges cognitive psychology and modern user experience design in a manner directly complementary to Norman.

    Medium relevanceExplore

  • Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change

    Victor Papanek

    AI Recommendation

    Shares Norman's critical perspective on irresponsible industrial design, emphasizing broader ethical and ecological needs.

    Medium relevanceExplore