From Library Journal
The more things that computers do, the more complicated they invariably become to use. Norman contends that the personal computer is nearing the end of its life cycle, to be replaced by intuitive, task-focused "information appliances."
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Scientific American
Norman's thesis is that a number of modern products, most notably personal computers, come with a technological overload that makes them hard to use. He pictures a "vast chasm" that separates the early users of a device, who will put up with complex technology in order to reap the benefits offered, from later users, who want reliability and simplicity. "Alas, the aging teenagers who rule the computer companies of the world are still stuck on the youthful side of the chasm," he says. Norman maintains that personal computers and other technologically daunting devices should be as easy to use as such "information appliances" as watches, telephones, digital cameras, and compact-disc and tape players.
So what good is your personal computer if it's too complex for you to operate, or if the software and hardware aren't completely compatible, or worse yet, if the model you bought is not the industry standard. Products through history have been developed with these problems, including Edison's phonograph. Apparently, the great inventor felt people would listen to the best quality music available, but the public wanted to hear the stars, and RCA Victor and other companies bested Edison, despite his superior product. Similarly, Norman says the makers of PCs think they can continue to tinker and experiment while the public demands convenience and simplicity of use. The author, a Hewlett-Packard executive, is convinced that the company that strips back and starts over with a more streamlined, horizontal organization dedicated to simplicity of use will succeed if it employs a "user-first, technology-last" approach. The likelihood of this actually happening is questionable, but Norman writes in a relatively easy-to-read style for a techno-author. Joe Collins
Review
"... an enlightening and pragmatic account of the interrelated currents and riptides affecting product development in the computer/information industry. -- Publisher's Weekly,September 21, 1998
"... he is a master of common sense in the tunnel-vision world of technological engineering... Donald Norman's deep understanding of the principles of design and product management authorizes him to ask pertinent questions that the average computer user does not dare." -- Kate Alvarez, The Times Literary Supplement, March 19, 1999
"In his new book... Donald Norman complains that most devices today try to be all things to all people, but that this flexibility means that they're unable to do any single task well... It's the moment we've all been waiting for... " -- Lizzie Bailey, Frank,December 1998
"Mr. Norman understands one bit of wisdom very well: Most people don't buy computers just to play with a digital toy... Technology is a means, not an end." -- World Magazine, February 20, 1999
"Norman isn't a blindly optimistic technophile... And he's very savvy about the way standard corporate organizations impede or defeat human-centered design processes. So, given Norman's lofty new status at H-P, I can't wait for him to get started designing and shipping some of the micromachines he touts. Indeed, I'll be thinking of him every time I try to clear a paper jam on my office printer. There's hope: The Invisible Computer is a splendid object that meets all of Norman's criteria for good design: It's simple, clear, useful, and fun." -- Michael Stern, San Francisco Chronicle, March21, 1999
"Not only does Norman discuss how teams should be organized, he also grapples with issues including project ownership and rewards. There is clearly practice behind Norman's theory, which makes a book nominally about the computer industry useful for people who deal with things including brake and seating systems and the like." -- Gary S. Vasilash, Automotive Manufacturing and Production, February 1999
"Quite simply, Norman says the computer industry is too caught up in new technology for its own sake. Rather than listening to the right customers, companies heed only the ones who already use their products." -- Heather Green, Business Week,October 26, 1998
"That he has solutions, not merely complaints, makes his case very persuasive... That he informatively and brilliantly identifies one of the besetting problems of the modern world makes it a great book... You need controversial ideas if you want to work out how to make the world a better place." -- Harold Thimbleby, New Scientist, November 28, 1998
"This against-the-grain kind of thinking is what makes Norman tick, and what makes his books a pleasure to read. You'll find yourself agreeing with Norman over and over again as he states obvious design flaws that drive people crazy, but that manufacturers seem reluctant to change." -- Suzanne Smith, The Union-Tribune (San Diego),December 8, 1998
"This is not just a book about technology. It also shares Norman's insider's view of the culture that creates the products that we wind up using. Norman is no evangelist for the digital era... [He] has specific recommendations for making things better, and they match my experience of observing systems that work vs. systems that are (at best) ignored." -- Peter Coffee, PC Week,September 7, 1998
About the Author
Business Week has named Don Norman as one of the world's most influential designers. He has been both a professor and an executive: he was Vice President of Advanced Technology at Apple; his company, the Nielsen Norman Group, helps companies produce human-centered products and services; he has been on the faculty at Harvard, the University of California, San Diego, Northwestern University, and KAIST, in South Korea. He is the author of many books, including The Design of Everyday Things, The Invisible Computer (MIT Press, 1998), Emotional Design, and The Design of Future Things.
