Bringing Design to Software (Paperback)

by Terry Winograd (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Design of software has often taken place in isolation from the many lessons learned in the design of objects or non-computer processes. Continuing in the tradition of Donald Norman's highly influential Design of Everyday Things, this collection of essays provides essential inspiration for reflective software designers driven by practical concerns of what works, what doesn't--and why. Contains contributions by such insightful software engineers as David Liddle, Donald Norman, John Bennett, and Michael Schrage.

Product Description
Designing Software Interactions aims to illuminate and stimulate the discipline of software design. Collecting insights and experiences from experts in diverse fields, it addresses the growing demand that the software industry produce software that really works--software that fits people and situations far better than the examples we see today.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: ACM Press (April 12, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201854910
• ISBN-13: 978-0201854916
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #651,817 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bringing Design to Software, February 15, 2000

By	Robin Lindbeck (Pepperdine University) - See all my reviews

This book is a collection of chapters focusing on design and design topics. The chapter authors are from a variety of disciplines including software and product design, technology, architecture, graphic arts, and philosophy. This diversity adds to the richness in which the book addresses "design," expands the notion of the "designer" community of practice, and illustrates the importance of multifunctionality in design by taking lessons of practice from a variety of disciplines. After each chapter a "profile" of a product or situation is provided as a real-life example of the key points of the chapter.

The following themes appeared throughout the book:

· There needs to be a move from product-centered design to user-centered (or maybe use-centered) design. Talking, observing, interacting and listening with the users are key activities in making this happen.

· The move to a user-centered design can be aided by recognizing and professionalizing the role of a designer in the software development process. (in this book people are variously referred to as software designers, interaction designers, artist-designers, software architects, etc.)

· There is a need for tools and materials developed for software designers to create a language of design, and to develop prototypes and models. These things are needed for use in the design process to allow for a "conversation with the materials," --to create opportunities for exploration of the design, which may lead to unexpected characteristics and surprises. These, in turn, allow for reflection and lead to the development of better questions about our design and design process. These tools and methods also allow for communicating ideas, changes and goals to others involved in the design process.

· Design is a team-sport. Successful designers will be familiar with the roles, language and concerns of everyone involved in the design process so as best to include them, and their contributions, into the overall design effort. It's also true that the design process resides within an organization, whose values, culture, management and business concerns have an impact on the success of design efforts. A skillful designer will be aware of (and perhaps challenge) the impact of the organization on the design process to allow the design effort to be as successful as possible.

This is a good thought-starter for anyone interested in broadening their definition of designer and incorporating additional perspectives into their design practices.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Take the user into account, February 20, 2000

By	Jennifer Ryan "jenniferryan2" (Pepperdine University) - See all my reviews

Winograd brings together a mix of software designers, computer scientists, graphic artists, architects, scientists, and consultants, and their conceptions and methodologies for software design. Each describes their design situations from his or her position of expertise. Each of the "designers" has a similar message, ease of use and interaction must be relevant to the user, not only to the hierarchical structure of the software. Another point in the book is, if software is designed in such a way as to have the user append knowledge, as opposed to throw all daily logic of how things work in their world out the window, the learning curve for new software would be minimal.

The designer's involvement needs to be invoked from the beginning of the software project, and should not be considered as just a "final coat of spray-on aesthetics". Thought and design energy need to be given towards the capabilities of identifying the skill level and needs of the user, so that the user can accomplish his or her tasks while enduring the least amount of frustration. Hopefully the user will also learn something through his or her experience with the software, which would then bring them up to a new level of mastery. The use of design teams, with members encapsulating differing points of view, is emphasized as a successful methodology for the development of such software applications.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I particularly liked the use of "profiles" between chapters., September 7, 1998

By A Customer

The various contributions are inconsistent (writing style varies from riveting to just readable), but Winograd does a good job of tying everyone's contributions together. I particularly liked the use of "profiles" (short pieces highlighting a specific product or concept) that supplemented the longer chapters. Chapter 8 and the subsequent profile on IDEO should be required reading for anyone assigned to a software design project. And everyone involved in human-computer interaction should read Kapor's, "A Software Design Manifesto" (which is Chapter 1).