Attractive Things Work Better by Donald A. Norman
This preview of Norman’s book “Emotion and Design” discusses the relationship between aesthetics and usability in design, starting with the example of teapots. While some critics argue that adhering to usability alone can result in ugly designs, the author suggests that beauty and usability should not be in conflict, as he describes in his phrase: “pleasurable designs are not necessarily usable”. However, from my point of view, the key point behind his idea is the fact that he relates cognitive studies that explore the concept of affect or emotional reactions in design. Affect has a significant impact on how people perceive and interact with products. In stressful situations, negative affect can lead to “tunnel vision”, while in positive or neutral situations, positive affect can promote “breadth-first thinking” and creativity, making users more tolerant of minor design issues and distractions. The author emphasizes that true beauty in a product should go beyond aesthetics and should be rooted in usability and functionality, and that design should combine and include various factors like marketing and aesthetics, and in my opinion, this is the most important learning we should take from this text.
Her Code Got Humans on the Moon – Robert McMillan
More than just an “outlier”, Hamilton was a pioneer in her field. Not even a pioneer, she was the founding pillar of modern software and the importance of it. The inhuman pressure that was born from the Apollo mission and its dependence on the software Hamilton was producing is, without doubt, one of the main reasons why companies, CEOs, and global leaders all around the world started to put their eyes (and resources) on software development. As she describes, “the original document laying out the engineering requirements of the Apollo mission didn’t even mention the word software”.
For me, it’s impressive how the software for this was produced at that time. Especially considering that the Apollo mission was a life or death matter for the astronauts, and definitely the most ambitious human project ever made at that time. The process in which Hamilton and the “Little Old Ladies” engraved the commands that made the Apollo mission such a famous and ultimately successful project was almost superhuman, and definitely an example for all aspiring software developers around the world. The story behind program PO1 and the “fool-proof” coding style that Hamilton proposed and was initially rejected is without a doubt a fundamental concept in today’s software development: secure, safe, and error-avoiding code.