Summary:
So as can be inferred from the title this book covered design principles; that which makes a good/bad design and numerous examples of each so that the reader could understand what makes a good design, why some designs are not good (i.e. on purpose or through other priorities such as price etc.), and that if something seems simple but use of the object is frustrating or erroneous, then it is probably the design at fault. Some of the key points that the author made that distinguish a good design are reflected in his 'Seven Principles for Transforming Difficult Tasks into Simple Ones' p.188:
- Use both knowledge in the world and knowledge in the head.
- Simplify the structure of tasks.
- Make things visible: bridge the gulfs of Execution and Evaluation
- Get the mappings right.
- Exploit the power of constraints, both natural and artificial.
- Design for error.
- When all else fails, standardize.
Discussion:
The book had some intriguing arguments as to what makes a good design and why so many objects out in the world today suffer from poor design. I liked that in most of his examples he countered the obvious design flaws with logical reasoning as to why they existed. I liked that he continually referred to other material in the book either prior to or after what was currently being read, in that he was tying all of his ideas together. It would have been easier for me had I read all of the book in one or two sittings, but instead I spaced out the reading into perhaps five or six sessions so some of his references to prior material were lost on me since it had already left my memory. The included photos and diagrams helped reinforce his statements, but I would have still preferred more examples and evidence of poor design rather than related stories that were told to him by friends/coworkers.
I agree with you on that the Norman needed more examples. There was a just a little too much talk on general design principles to make this a really exciting read. But it was a good experience nonetheless.
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