"How do people cope? Part of the answer lines in the way the mind works-- in the psychology of human thought and cognition. Park lies in the designer to make the operation clear, to project a good image of the operation and to take advantage of other things people might be expected to know. Here is where the designer's knowledge of the psychology of people coupled with knowledge of how things work becomes crucial."I found this quote interesting because the previous statement, what people are coping with, referred to the fact that there are some 30,000 "readily discriminable objects for the adult." That blew my mind a little bit. It is something that we don't usually think about, but even just on the desk in front of me are multiple designs that either I have learned how to use, or are just intuitive to the user.
Norman's book was first published in 1988 and it still influences designers today. Why do you think this book continues to be influential 20 years later?
Norman's book is equally, if not more, relevant today as it was when it was written. In 1988 the technology bubble was still in it's early days and there where so many less features and cool tricks products could do to mess up a design. The paradox of technology is probably worse now than it was then, and we have all kinds of U-Shaped curves. The principles of design, like the people who use them, don't change. Good design is good design no matter when it was made.
Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating design of a product?
The three main factors that I got out of this chapter were the principles of visibility, mapping and feedback. If all three of these are criteria are met, a design should be good. Obviously the product must work. Simplicity is also important.
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