1. Select a brief passage from Chapter One of The Design of Everyday Things (Donald Norman) and post it on your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.
"Whenever the number of functions and required operations exceeds the number of controls, the design becomes arbitrary, unnatural, and complicated. The same technology that simplifies life by providing more functions in each device also complicates life by making the device harder to learn, harder to use. This is the paradox of technology."
I thought this passage was particularly interesting because the "paradox of technology" is something I have thought about often, and it has consistently proven to be true. The notion of technology following a trend and curve is something that I think is easy for people to grasp, and it's helpful when thinking about technology from the perspective of a designer or as a consumer.
2. 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?
Although I found the book to be a bit dated, it still has a lasting effect on the world of design because it discusses very important and timeless issues relating to design. No matter what year it is, people will react to natural design, visibility, mapping, and other key elements discussed in the book.
3. Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product?
I would include factors like, visibility, natural design/signals, affordance, constraints, mapping, and cost vs. usability.