The first example that came to mind that drives me insane is the Apple Magic Mouse. Although it isn’t mentioned in the reading it is an outside example that illustrates several of Norman’s design principles in action and the failure to achieve these principles and its consequences. The mouse cannot be used while charging because the charging port is placed on the bottom which was something that received a lot of backlash due to its inconvenient design placement. When the battery dies, you are forced to stop using it entirely until it charges, which makes the interaction extremely inconvenient. This design breaks several of Don Norman’s design principles. First, it demonstrates poor mapping. The location of the charging port forces the mouse to be flipped upside down, which physically prevents interaction. The physical layout directly maps to the user not being able to use the product. A mouse is meant to support continuous use, but the placement of the port makes its core function temporarily impossible.
Second, it breaks the conceptual model. A user expects a rechargeable device to continue working while plugged in, similar to a phone or laptop. When the mouse suddenly becomes unusable during charging, the user realizes their mental model was wrong. This mismatch between expectation and reality causes frustration. It also violates discoverability. The user does not learn this limitation during purchase or setup they discover it only at the worst possible moment: when the battery dies. At that point, the design interrupts workflow and negatively impacts the entire user experience. The issue appears to come from prioritizing aesthetics over usability. The bottom placement hides the charging port and keeps the mouse visually minimal, but it sacrifices function. This overall poor design is a result of the designer prioritizing appearance over functionality this is similar to Normans friends case where he got stuck in between a set of poorly designed swinging doors, and Norman stated that the” designer aimed for beauty, not utility.” Which is essentially what happened with the apple magic mouse.
A better design solution would be to move the charging port to the front or side of the mouse. The cable could lay flat while the mouse remains usable, improving mapping and maintaining a clean appearance. Another improvement would be a swappable battery, similar to camera batteries, allowing users to replace a depleted battery instantly instead of waiting. By relocating the charging port and optionally adding a replaceable battery, the mouse would better support continuous interaction, align with the user’s conceptual model, and improve the overall user experience.
Some of the author’s principles that caught my attention, and that I think strongly apply to interactive media, are discoverability, understanding, signifiers, and conceptual models. I feel these are the minimum standards that any interactive project should meet, especially when creating an interactive website.
First, discoverability and understanding are essential. When a user opens a website, they should immediately understand what the website is and how they are supposed to interact with it. The user should not have to guess where to click or what is interactive. For example, on the NYU Brightspace website there are clear icons for settings, notifications, and the user profile. These icons communicate visual cues, and because the symbols are simple and familiar, the user can quickly understand their function. The elements are clearly mapped, easy to find, and obviously clickable, which allows the user to comfortably navigate the interface.
Another important principle is signifiers, which Norman describes as indicators that communicate where the action should take place. In interactive media, signifiers guide the user through the experience. For example, on a game website there might be a “Start Here” button that glows while the background is dimmed. This immediately captures attention and shows the user where to begin. Similarly, a button might be a different color, such as red, or use motion like a pulsing animation. In many games, especially during tutorials, an arrow icon hovers over an object to show the player what to tap and how to interact. These visual cues reduce confusion and help the user learn the system naturally.
Another principle is the conceptual model, which explains how something works. This is especially important in interactive media because users need to form a mental understanding of the system before they can fully engage with it. Tutorials are a good example, they teach the user the rules of interaction before the experience becomes logic of the system, they feel more confident navigating it.
Overall, these principles help make an interactive project intuitive rather than frustrating. When discoverability, clear signifiers, and a strong conceptual model are present, the user does not have to think about how to use the interface and can instead focus on the experience itself. This is ultimately the goal of good interaction design.