The reading was an insightful exploration of design principles, especially in how seemingly simple objects can cause unnecessary confusion due to poor design. Norman’s discussion of unintuitive doors resonated with me because I often find myself second-guessing whether to push, pull, or slide a door. It reminded me of how many everyday frustrations are not due to user error but rather poor design choices. This reading reinforced the idea that effective design should be invisible—when done well, users don’t notice the effort behind it, but when done poorly, it becomes a major source of frustration. The comparison to unnoticed yet essential elements in other fields, such as sound design in film, really stood out to me. Just like poor audio mixing can pull you out of a film, bad design disrupts an otherwise seamless interaction with a product. The reading also made me appreciate the balance required in good design—ensuring clarity without overwhelming users with excessive instructions, and making products both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Applying these design principles to interactive media requires a careful balance of affordances, feedback, and signifiers to ensure an intuitive experience. In previous projects, I’ve experimented with interactive elements like hover effects and keyboard controls, but I’ve realized that just because an interaction is possible doesn’t mean users will know it exists. Without clear signifiers, like visual prompts or subtle animations, the interactivity might go unnoticed, reducing engagement. I’ve also seen cases where too much feedback—like unnecessary pop-ups or redundant instructions—ends up being more annoying than helpful. A major takeaway from Norman’s work is that design should guide users naturally rather than force them to read detailed instructions. For interactive media, this could mean designing with affordances that align with user expectations, like making buttons look clickable or using motion cues to hint at interactivity. Balancing clarity with aesthetics is key to making interactive experiences engaging without being intrusive.