“The Psychopathology of Everyday Things” lays a foundational understanding of how good design should bridge the gap between user experience and functionality.
One intriguing aspect that Norman highlights is the concept of “affordances,” which refers to the perceived and actual properties of an object that determine how it could possibly be used. A door handle, for example, affords pulling, while a push plate suggests pushing. This concept raises questions about how well the design communicates possible actions to users and how intuitive these actions are. It leads one to ponder: How many everyday frustrations are due to poor design rather than user error?
Norman also introduces the idea of “signifiers,” signals that communicate where the action should take place. This is particularly interesting when considering interactive media, where the interface must clearly communicate how to interact with digital environments. These concepts beg the question of how digital interfaces can be designed to be more intuitive and reduce the cognitive load on the user.
“Good design makes a product understandable” – it encapsulates the essence of user-centered design—making the purpose of an object or interface self-evident. Consider the evolution of smartphone interfaces. Early smartphones often required users to navigate through multiple menus to perform simple tasks. Modern smartphones, however, have refined their interfaces to be more intuitive, using design principles like those Norman discusses. Icons are designed with affordances and signifiers in mind, making actions like deleting an app or finding settings more intuitive. This evolution showcases the impact of good design on everyday technology and its role in enhancing user experience.
How can we, as future designers, ensure that our creations are not just functional but also joyous to interact with? How can we minimize frustration and maximize satisfaction? That are the questions it’s high time we ask ourselves.
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