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The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition

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The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition Paperback – Illustrated, November 5, 2013

by Don Norman (Author)

4.6 8,084 ratings

in Industrial & Product Design

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One of the world's great designers shares his vision of "the fundamental principles of great and meaningful design", that's "even more relevant today than it was when first published" (Tim Brown, CEO, IDEO).

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.

The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how -- and why -- some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.

From the Publisher


	The Design of Future Things	Emotional Design	Things That Make Us Smart

Customer Reviews	143	854	71
Price	$15.18	$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.

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Even classics can be updated and improved ... Highly recommended."―Choice

"This book changed the field of design. As the pace of technological change accelerates, the principles in this book are increasingly important. The new examples and ideas about design and product development make it essential reading."―Patrick Whitney, Dean, Institute of Design, and Steelcase/Robert C. Pew Professor of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology

"Twenty-five years ago The Design of Everyday Things was instrumental in orienting my approach to design. With this latest revised and expanded edition, Don Norman has given me a host of new ideas to explore as well as reminding me of the fundamental principles of great and meaningful design. Part operating manual for designers and part manifesto on the power of designing for people, The Design of Everyday Things is even more relevant today than it was when first published."―Tim Brown, CEO, IDEO, and author of Change by Design

"Design may be our top competitive edge. This book is a joy--fun and of the utmost importance."―Tom Peters, author of the national best-seller In Search of Excellence

About the Author

Don Norman is a co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group, and holds graduate degrees in both engineering and psychology. His many books include Emotional Design, The Design of Future Things, and Living with Complexity. He lives in Silicon Valley, California.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0465050654
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Revised edition (November 5, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780465050659
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465050659
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.33 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Industrial & Product Design
- #123 in Psychology & Counseling

Customer Reviews:
4.6 8,084 ratings

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Donald A. Norman

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Don Norman takes special delight in the interaction of people and technology. "Develop the skill of observation," he says, "and especially pay attention to the obvious, for this is where you will discover many hidden insights. What seems to be obvious often is not."

Business Week has named him one of "the world's most influential designers," the influence from his books, essays, courses and students, lectures, and consulting.

He is a fellow of many organizations, including the American Association of Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineers and former lots of things, including VP at Apple Computer, President of a startup, and co-founder of the Nielsen Norman group. He has honorary degrees from the University of Padua (Italy), the Technical University Delft (the Netherlands), and the University of San Marino. He was awarded the Benjamin Franklin medal in Computer and Cognitive Science and the Sir Misha Black medal for contributions to Design Education.

He is known for his books "The Design of Everyday Things," "Emotional Design," "Living with Complexity," and "The Design of Future Things," but he is most proud of his students all over the world, who put into practice his human-centered design philosophy.

His latest book is Design for a Better World: meaningful, sustainable, humanity centered" which draws upon his rich history to address some of the most pressing problems facing the world today. The real issues are not technical, nor can they be solved simply by technology. The most difficult is human behavior, which is why design can play such an important role. Design is a way of thinking, of solving the core underlying issues, combining a knowledge of technology, all areas of human activity, and most important of all, human behavior.

He lives at www.jnd.org, where you can find chapters from his books and loads of essays.

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8,084 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book interesting and well-researched. It provides an insightful introduction to product design concepts and explores essential perspectives. Many consider it a great value and good purchase. The author is described as humorous and helpful for getting through some boring topics. However, some readers feel the book is repetitive and redundant at times. There are mixed opinions on the language - some find it easy to read and non-technical, while others describe it as lackluster and dry.

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Readability Information quality Design Value for money Humor Language Book enjoyment

191 customers mention "Readability"191 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and insightful. They describe it as an accessible, well-researched, and entertaining read for founders, product managers, and designers. Readers appreciate the guidance on creating a good ePortfolio website.

"...into print, to remind us that designs need to be both attractive, functional, and practical, before we forget that little detail entirely." Read more

"...Developers love this book, because it's good (duh!)..." Read more

"...Positives: 1. An accessible and well-researched book. Excellent resource for professionals in the field but intended for all to enjoy. 2...." Read more

"...Overall this is a great intro on the process and a great addition to anyone’s mental toolbox...." Read more

151 customers mention "Information quality"134 positive17 negative

Customers find the book insightful and helpful for product design. It provides a good introduction to concepts and perspectives that are not normally explored. The endnotes and suggested readings are helpful. The book explores the concepts of discoverability, affordance, signifiers, feedback, and implications of good and bad design. They find the subject interesting and useful once understood.

"...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..." Read more

"...It also walks you through the typical interaction cycle, from the idea of action that user wants to perform, to the interpretation of feedback they..." Read more

"...5. Good use of tables and charts to complement the narrative. 6. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on what constitutes good design...." Read more

"...design and psychological concepts presented have a wide range of applicability to any industry and for consumers/users of anything and thus I hope..." Read more

133 customers mention "Design"115 positive18 negative

Customers find the book offers a quick introduction to human-centered design. It helps them train their minds to evaluate designs and uphold good standards. They find it entertaining and entertaining, providing a different perspective on user interface designs. The book's look and feel, as well as the implications and consequences of good and bad design, are appreciated.

"...of thinking into print, to remind us that designs need to be both attractive, functional, and practical, before we forget that little detail entirely." Read more

"...design in their everyday work, to bring them the gospel of good design practices in an extremely condensed form...." Read more

"...team to meet these requirements while getting to an acceptable, high-quality design.” 21. Notes, references, and so much more…..." Read more

"...The book’s look and feel (size, matte finish, page quality, use of font sizes and alignments) were delightful except for the black and white photos..." Read more

9 customers mention "Value for money"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They say it arrived on time and is a great purchase. The book is good at generating revenue.

"...many important lessons but I found the concepts of discoverability, affordance, signifiers, feedbacks, mappings and constraints a simple, yet a..." Read more

"...I think the concepts here are required learning. Definitely worth it." Read more

"...I feel this book offers a lot of value for the price." Read more

"...It's exceptionally good at generating revenue; maybe I'm applying his solution to the wrong problem, the correct problem being 'I need money for a..." Read more

7 customers mention "Humor"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They say it's well-written and helps them through boring topics.

"...What else? It's also short, well-written and entertaining. The jokes are rare, poignant, and usually delivered with a deadpan snark...." Read more

"...Well written and humorous, a great read for founders, product managers, designers, engineers and others." Read more

"...the massive knowledge bombs being dropped on your head, it's a humorous book. I think this will be a book that I return to yearly." Read more

"...Decent read & kept it after class was over for future reference. Writer is funny, which helped through some boring topics." Read more

78 customers mention "Language"44 positive34 negative

Customers have different views on the book's language. Some find it easy to read and well-written, with a simple tone and clear conceptual model. Others feel the writing is lackluster, dry, and verbose in some parts.

"...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...." Read more

"...However, I felt the author sometimes laboured his points and had a certain amount of repetition." Read more

"...What else? It's also short, well-written and entertaining. The jokes are rare, poignant, and usually delivered with a deadpan snark...." Read more

"...The readability is much lower but the content depth is far more extensive...." Read more

30 customers mention "Book enjoyment"8 positive22 negative

Customers find the book repetitive, boring, and redundant. They mention it's tedious and verbose, with too much repetition of ideas and meandering stories. The book is also stuffed with non-value-adding or time-consuming information.

"...And far too many of those things are clumsy, stupid, painful to use, subtracting seconds, pleasure, and safety from our world...." Read more

"The books is good, but the author repeats himself a lot...." Read more

"...What else? It's also short, well-written and entertaining. The jokes are rare, poignant, and usually delivered with a deadpan snark...." Read more

"...Thirdly, the book was extremely redundant...." Read more

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Keith Levkoff
Useful information about how things SHOULD BE designed!
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2021
Verified Purchase
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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Ilya Korobkov
It's great, just stop calling it 'the UX Bible'
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
A lot of people voice their disappointment with this book, because they expect it to be an in-depth, authoritative guide written for professional designers, and it turns out to be something else. Let me tell you a little secret, design people: it's not "the design bible", it's not "the UX bible", it's not anything bible. It's more of a religious pamphlet aimed at laymen who don't normally think about design in their everyday work, to bring them the gospel of good design practices in an extremely condensed form.

Developers love this book, because it's good (duh!) and also because it comes with recommendations from several luminaries in the field, most notably Jeff Atwood, the co-founder of StackOverflow. I'm no exception. It helped shift my focus from making software that does its job well, to making software that helps its users do their jobs well. It explains in very simple terms why you should care about how users experience and interact with the things you make and how to start thinking about making their interactions more satisfying and rewarding. It also walks you through the typical interaction cycle, from the idea of action that user wants to perform, to the interpretation of feedback they receive; it is a tremendous help when you are trying to 'debug' the interactions and figure out the exact reason why users find your design distracting, irritating or counter-intuitive.

There are sections clarifying the terms you might have heard elsewhere but don't know exactly what they mean (A/B testing, root cause analysis, iterative vs. waterfall approach) or how they might help you improve your design. There is a particularly illuminating chapter explaining why fridge controls and stove controls (among many other things) come in so many different and incompatible designs, how companies are trying to solve this problem with standardization and why standards sometimes create more problems than they solve.

What else? It's also short, well-written and entertaining. The jokes are rare, poignant, and usually delivered with a deadpan snark. To give you an example,
"The typewriter was a radical innovation that had a dramatic impact upon office and home writing. It helped provide a role for women in offices as typists and secretaries, which led to the redefinition of the job of secretary to be a dead end rather than the first step toward an executive position".
Nice, huh?

To summarize: buy this book if you want to know more about design in general and/or become a better designer to complement your other skills. Don't buy this book if you expect a huge how-to manual or a cookbook aimed at experienced designers.

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Vega
Muy recomendable
Reviewed in Mexico on August 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
Excelente libro sobre UX.

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Good quality 👌
Good quality 👌
Reviewed in France on September 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
Good print quality, the book looks as described.

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Good quality 👌

Good quality 👌
Reviewed in France on September 5, 2024
Good print quality, the book looks as described.

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Jaskaran Sondhi
The best book to understand the functionalities and design of products! Highly recommended!
Reviewed in Canada on July 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
I have been wanting to read this book since a while now after getting into UX Design. After reading many reviews and being suggested to read this by my professors and industry professionals, I had to get it. I am not an avid reader of books but this is way too interesting and easy for anyone to read.

If you are a designer and want to get better at understanding how products work and users experience it, please read this book. You will not be disappointed!

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Bruno
Geweldig boek maar deze uitgave is zwak
Reviewed in Belgium on December 30, 2023
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Kocht deze versie als geschenk. De uitgave is enorm teleurstellend... Cover foto helemaal uitgewassen en lage resolutie.

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Gaizka
Libro esencial para diseñadores industriales o de UX
Reviewed in Spain on September 18, 2023
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Un clásico del muno del diseño, completamente esencial para cualquier persona del gremio.

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