I've just started reading this book - and I must say I am quite impressed.
I've read a few reviews that essentially accused the author of being a cranky old guy complaining about how the world has changed - and I must agree with them. However, as far as I'm concerned, it's a message that needs to be heard. Not all change is good... and, many times, change makes the world more complicated to navigate... often in ways that are not at all helpful. Many modern products are very poorly designed when it comes to little details like practicality and usability. And too many designers of modern equipment and software expect their users to either already know how to use their product - or to be willing to do extensive research, or read a long detailed manual, before being able to use it. When I purchased my last new car I didn't need to read a book before being able to drive it off the lot. So why DID I need to look up the details about how to make a phone call on my new phone? Shouldn't how to make a simple phone call be simpler and more obvious than how to drive car? And, likewise, shouldn't it be obvious how to turn a lamp on and off? Doesn't this seem like a bit of a step backwards to you?
Advanced features are very nice, and can be really handy once you understand them, and set them up, but you shouldn't need a manual to make a simple phone call. (If you were trapped in a burning building, and you found a phone lying on the floor, but it wasn't the same brand as the one you normally use, would you be able to figure out how to call 911 on it? And, for that matter, could you even trust that a modern hotel room would have a plain old light switch located at the normal spot on the wall next to the door?)
My point is that this book provides an EXCELLENT perspective on the things we SHOULD be paying attention to when we design things... and it's great that someone is putting that sort of thinking into print, to remind us that designs need to be both attractive, functional, and practical, before we forget that little detail entirely.
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Popular Highlights in this book
Affordances determine what actions are possible. Signifiers communicate where the action should take place.Highlighted by 8,784 Kindle readers- Two of the most important characteristics of good design are discoverability and understanding.Highlighted by 6,370 Kindle readers
- Experience is critical, for it determines how fondly people remember their interactions.Highlighted by 5,289 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
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| The Design of Future Things | Emotional Design | Things That Make Us Smart | |
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| Price | $15.09 | $10.79 | $11.99 |
| Explore the Works of Don Norman | This is a consumer-oriented look at the perils and promise of the smart objects of the future, and a cautionary tale for designers of these objects-many of which are already in use or development. | From roller coasters to robots, sports cars to smartphones, attractive things work better. Whether designer or consumer, user or inventor, this book is the definitive guide to making Norman’s insights work for you. | This book explores the complex interaction between human thought and the technology it creates, arguing for the development of machines that fit our minds, rather than minds that must conform to the machine. |
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Good book so far.
The book did come with one of the corners all banged up. Seems like they used it to play frisbee. Granted it's paperback, but let me be the first one to wreck it.
Top reviews from other countries
Bruno
Geweldig boek maar deze uitgave is zwak
Reviewed in Belgium on December 30, 2023Gaizka
Libro esencial para diseñadores industriales o de UX
Reviewed in Spain on September 18, 2023