Creative Reading Reflection – Her Code Got Humans on the Moon -And Invented Software Itself:

The article talks about how back in the 1960s, when most tech jobs were filled by men, a woman named Margaret Hamilton made history. She was only 24 and worked at MIT as a programmer. Even though people didn’t expect much from women in tech back then, Margaret proved them wrong in a big way.  As a young programmer at MIT, she embarked on a journey that would mark her as one of the important figures behind the successful Apollo space missions.

She became a key person in the Apollo space program because she wrote a lot of the software that made the Apollo missions successful. There was a tense moment during the famous Apollo 11 mission when the computer started showing some unexpected errors. But, thanks to her hard work and her team, the mission was a success, and the astronauts landed safely. She thought ahead during the Apollo program, identifying issues and pushing for software changes that later became vital for the success and safety of future missions.

Margaret Hamilton made significant contributions to both software engineering and space exploration. Her dedication and leadership are remarkable. When we think about major space achievements, it’s essential to see Hamilton as an influential figure who greatly impacted technology and space missions. Her work shows how one person can change history.

Norman “Emotion & Design: Attractive things work better”

Don Norman’s essay, “Emotion and Attractive,” highlights a fundamental aspect of design that often goes unnoticed. He emphasizes that the aesthetics of a product go beyond its outer appearance. It includes usability, understandability, and ease of use, in addition to beauty. He explains that sometimes, in stressful situations, like emergencies, things should focus more on usability. They need to be easy to use so people can stay safe. But in everyday life, when things are less stressful, it’s nice to have things that look beautiful and make us happy.

Don Norman also introduces the idea of “affect,” which is how we feel when we use something. Affect can change the way we think and solve problems. When something looks nice and makes us feel good (positive affect), it can even help us be more creative and patient. When something is visually appealing, we tend to invest more mental effort in understanding its use. However, this preference for aesthetics can be influenced by our mood and circumstances.

Norman provides a concrete example with teapots. If you have the time and inclination, you might choose the most aesthetically pleasing teapot, even if it’s not the most user-friendly. But when you’re in a hurry, practicality takes precedence over aesthetics.

So, the key is to find a balance between usability and beauty in design. It’s not about choosing one over the other but making things that work well and make us happy. That way, our everyday things can be both useful and beautiful.