The stories of Margaret Hamilton’s work on the Apollo software and Don Norman’s article on the role of aesthetics in design provide valuable insights into the complex relationship between form, function, and user experience.
Hamilton’s experiences showcase the critical importance of secure programming by anticipating edge cases. “Hamilton wanted to add error-checking code to the Apollo system that would prevent this from messing up the systems. But that seemed excessive to her higher-ups.” This example highlights the need for designers to think through all the ways a product might be misused, even if it means going out of their way for additional work. This is actually a core part of every group work we do. Since one student might specialize in something, it’s their responsibility to convey complexities to a manager or the leader. This of course assumes that leader is capable of listening and trusting their group members’ expertise. Unfortunately, most companies nowadays work around maximizing profit and such thoughts are the last things that come to their mind.
The pushback Hamilton faced raises questions about the biases we bring to the design process. The belief that “astronauts would not make any mistakes” is plain wrong. Norman’s article suggests that aesthetic preferences can vary significantly across cultures and individuals – the same as “Three Teapots”. This variability means that as designers, we must constantly challenge our own assumptions and try to broaden our perspective. We should allow for all possibilities to happen and design a product for the end user (who might happen to be an astronaut) that works without major flaws. Norman’s article also suggests that that an attractive design can enhance usability, but not replace it entirely. For example, our current smartphone UIs are much more attractively designed than a few years ago. Even so, this raises the complexity of usability. I have personally downloaded older more simplified launchers for my grandmother, simply because it is so much easier to use.
All in all, combining usability with aesthetics while having the end user in mind is clearly the way to go. Hamilton’s approach to software engineering shows that innovative work pays off, as the result was truly out of this world.
Skip to content
