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Summary of The Design of Everyday Things
Short summary
Have you ever been frustrated with a product because of its complexity? Do you feel powerless operating a product that's supposed to be straightforward and easy to use? Rest assured, you’re not the only one with this problem. This summary is a guide that outlines the principles of how to create and use designs without much stress.
Donald Norman is an American author, researcher and professor who is widely known for his expertise in design, cognitive science and usability engineering. His works on design have earned him a reputation as one of the best-selling authors of his generation.
“Design is really an act of communication, which means having a deep understanding of the person with whom the designer is communicating.” 〜 Donald A. Norman
17 min
10 key points
7 insights
You’ll learn
- Why simplicity wins in design
- Keys to enhancing user experience
- Design's ethical power in our world
- How invisible design shapes life
Table of content
- Summary of The Design of Everyday Things
- About the author
- What is The Design of Everyday Things about?
- Who should read The Design of Everyday Things
- Topics in The Design of Everyday Things
first key point
Your reaction to the use of designs determine your way of life
Listen the first key point
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Your use of everyday objects is as a result of the designs attached to each one of them. Everything you use has a plan, and its simplicity or complexity determines how well you use them. When something has a sophisticated design, you'd most likely not use it, but when the design is simple, you'd love to use it.
The way things are designed shows the level of attention paid by designers. This also goes to show that designers should be appreciated more for the level of work they do. Many designs are overlooked by users, and this is because the designer has successfully made the product easy to use.
Designs are essential in our daily activities and careers. For instance, athletes can attest to the importance of designs in their lives. The best athletes always have their gears designed by some of the best organizations in the world. This is because the right design enhances performance and makes it easy to improve on one’s talent. Designs are also a key part of an organization’s brand. iPhones are known for their sleek designs, and this contributes majorly to their exponential revenue. Other organizations like Puma, Adidas, Samsung etc., also thrive on their designs, and that’s why they are globally recognized.
In this tidbit, you’ll learn the importance of designs, as well as the methods you can use to create a good design for your brand.
The way things are designed shows the level of attention paid by designers. This also goes to show that designers should be appreciated more for the level of work they do. Many designs are overlooked by users, and this is because the designer has successfully made the product easy to use.
Designs are essential in our daily activities and careers. For instance, athletes can attest to the importance of designs in their lives. The best athletes always have their gears designed by some of the best organizations in the world. This is because the right design enhances performance and makes it easy to improve on one’s talent. Designs are also a key part of an organization’s brand. iPhones are known for their sleek designs, and this contributes majorly to their exponential revenue. Other organizations like Puma, Adidas, Samsung etc., also thrive on their designs, and that’s why they are globally recognized.
In this tidbit, you’ll learn the importance of designs, as well as the methods you can use to create a good design for your brand.
second key point
Humans spend a considerable amount of time trying to figure out unnecessarily complicated designs
Because the human mind is conditioned to reason and seek solutions, it is difficult to disregard the complexity of a situation. Instead, you'll want to figure out how to fix them.
Full summary is waiting for you in the app
third key point
The human mind reacts to designs and errors in different ways
fourth key point
Feedback and a simple conceptual model are essential to understand how to overcome mistakes
fifth key point
Information is the basis on which designs thrive
sixth key point
To avoid mistakes, designers can limit the placement of the wrong objects into the right places
seventh key point
Mistakes can make your designs difficult to understand and use
eighth key point
Mistakes come from conscious deliberations and these could be very costly
ninth key point
Professional designers mostly oversee the work done by engineers and a host of other staff
tenth key point
Conclusion
What is The Design of Everyday Things about?
Who should read The Design of Everyday Things
Topics in The Design of Everyday Things
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