Donald A. Norman
Author of The Design of Everyday Things
About the Author
Donald A. Norman is professor of computer science and psychology at Northwestern University and co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group, a consulting firm that promotes human-centered products and services.
Image credit: jnd.org
Works by Donald A. Norman
The Invisible Computer: Why Good Products Can Fail, the Personal Computer Is so Complex, and Information Appliances Are… (1998) 415 copies
User Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction (1986) — Editor; Contributor — 28 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Norman, Donald Arthur
- Other names
- Norman, Donald A.
- Birthdate
- 1935-12-25
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (SB|Electrical Engineering)
University of Pennsylvania (MS|Electrical Engineering)
University of Pennsylvania (PhD|Mathematical Psychology) - Short biography
- Norman is a very private human being (hence no birthplace, for example), but this piece, written by him, is excellent.
I've retired four times: first from the University of California, San Diego (where I was founder and chair of the department of Cognitive Science); then from Northwestern University, where I was a professor of Computer Science and Design, co-directing the MMM dual degree program between the School of Engineering and the Kellogg School of Management, a program that gave students both an MBA and engineering degree, with the focus on design and operation; the third retirement was as a trustee of the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of technology (Chicago); and the fourth was as an active member of my company, the Nielsen Norman group (I have been given the title of "emeritus" at all four places.) And, as the opening sentence of this biography suggests, I'm back at UC San Diego, but I have given word that I am stepping down from the Directorship of the Design Lab at the end of the 2019-2020 Academic year, so starting July 1, 2020, i can concentrate upon my projects and writing. (A new book? Wait and see.)
(From https://jnd.org/about/)
Members
Reviews
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
This was written in a decade before authors learned how to write stimulating non-fiction.
Very thorough and well formulated. Guy is an expert in his field, and he manages to keep it interesting despite some of the dry subject matter
This book was interesting but disappointing.
The first half was a fascinating addendum to The Design of Everyday Things. This part of the book talked about the role of emotions in design and usability. Things that are more pleasurable to use are easier to use than something with the same basic design that is not a pleasure to use. The psychological basis for this claim is that when people are enjoying what they are using, they can take a more creative view at any problems they encounter during the interaction. Furthermore, when you enjoy using something, you may be more willing to forgive problems. Delightful design cannot rescue an unusable design, but all else being equal, the delightful design will seem easier to use and cause greater attachment.
Another reason that emotion is important in design is that users' relationships to objects are built on more than just the perceived usability and pleasure in using the items. Emotion is important because it taps into higher level human concerns such as image and status.
The second part of the book felt out of place. It discussed robots and why they need to have some equivalent of emotions. The discussion was interesting, but it did not seem to really fit with the description given by the title ("why we love (or hate) everyday things). It felt like the second part of the book was bolted on because the first part was not long enough to be a book on its own. Because it went so contrary to my expectations for the rest of the book, I just could not enjoy it, even though it may have been interesting on its own.
Overall, I would say that the first first of the book should be considered required reading if you have read The Design of Everyday Things. The second half you can take or leave depending on how interested you are in robots.… (more)
The first half was a fascinating addendum to The Design of Everyday Things. This part of the book talked about the role of emotions in design and usability. Things that are more pleasurable to use are easier to use than something with the same basic design that is not a pleasure to use. The psychological basis for this claim is that when people are enjoying what they are using, they can take a more creative view at any problems they encounter during the interaction. Furthermore, when you enjoy using something, you may be more willing to forgive problems. Delightful design cannot rescue an unusable design, but all else being equal, the delightful design will seem easier to use and cause greater attachment.
Another reason that emotion is important in design is that users' relationships to objects are built on more than just the perceived usability and pleasure in using the items. Emotion is important because it taps into higher level human concerns such as image and status.
The second part of the book felt out of place. It discussed robots and why they need to have some equivalent of emotions. The discussion was interesting, but it did not seem to really fit with the description given by the title ("why we love (or hate) everyday things). It felt like the second part of the book was bolted on because the first part was not long enough to be a book on its own. Because it went so contrary to my expectations for the rest of the book, I just could not enjoy it, even though it may have been interesting on its own.
Overall, I would say that the first first of the book should be considered required reading if you have read The Design of Everyday Things. The second half you can take or leave depending on how interested you are in robots.… (more)
The Design of Everyday Things is a book that should be read by anyone who wants to design something usable. This book is famous for its descriptions of incomprehensible doors and wretchedly confusing light switches. Norman points out what could be done to make these seemingly simple things be truly simple. He does not pretend design is easy; he discusses in depth the competing factors such as usability, cost, aesthetics, and features that a designer has to handle. Although the book does not deal extensively with computer interfaces, the discussions are still relevant to those of us designing computer systems. Read it!… (more)
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