1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
I felt that the author's key points in this chapter were that design is first and foremost based on the psychology of everyday things and the fundamentals that go along with it like visibility, appropriate clues, and action feedback, and that the fundamental principles of designing for people provides a good conceptual model and makes things visible.
2. Think of a specific object that you have had difficulty using. How did design contribute to making it difficult to use? Does the usability problem arise from one of the principles that Norman discusses in this chapter?
I know the example of a phone was used often, but this past summer I worked as a temporary office administrator in a small environmental engineering office where I lived. My main responsibility was to answer the phone, and I often had difficulties transferring and holding calls that came in. The worst experience was when I accidentally called someone and thought that they had called me. That led to an awkward exchange...
The design of the phone was too complicated. I could not remember all the different combinations of buttons that I needed to transfer, hold, and call out. Like Norman said, there were too many functions.
3. How did the designers of the iPod address the principles that Norman discusses here?
The iPod is so wonderful because it is both beautiful and extremely easy to use! The iPod designers used natural design when creating the original wheel, and it is also used with the touchscreen on the latest models. The iPod is simple, and uses constraints. There is only so much you can do with the limited buttons, and the user interface is simple and visible.