Ah yes, should I pull or should I push this door? From the image, we can already tell that something is off with the door. The sign says to pull the door, yet the handle is flat. These doors are commonly referred to as Norman Doors, introduced by Donald A. Norman in his book we read this week.
When designing something, it is always best to remember the target audience. Most object designs require human senses as an input to be used. While this does sound able-ist, we should also ask ourselves the question: How would this object be used for those who require more assistance?
People will always seek the path of least resistance. An intuitive design is always good. We can measure how good a design is by simply using our senses. If it feels ‘natural’ to use, as if it is part of our body, it means the object is well designed. Otherwise, if we stop to think about how to use the object, that means it is redundant.
I believe that the concept of affordances Norman wants us to embed in our minds is this: As a designer, we need to put ourselves in the shoes of the audience. Designers can impact the lives of its users, be it for good, or for the worse. Being able to distinguish the holes or problems in the experience of our design is an important aspect to always remember.