Before this reading, I always blamed myself when I could not understand how to use an everyday object. But after reading, Norman changed this view by showing that confusion is often evidence of poor design rather than user failure. Something that sometimes drives me crazy is a self-checkout machine that suddenly stops and displays an unclear error. It often tells me to place an item in the bagging area even though the item is already there, but it does not explain what I should do next. I would improve it by using clearer instructions, showing the exact item causing the problem, and providing an obvious button to ask for help. I think Norman may be slightly biased because he strongly favors usability and sometimes treats simple appearance as a cause of confusion. However, I think his examples support his argument that appearance should not hide function.
I can apply Norman’s principles to interactive media by making every possible action discoverable. In my p5.js sketches, clickable text should look clickable, instructions should appear before the user needs them, and every click should create immediate and understandable feedback. Controls should also have clear mapping, which means their position and appearance should relate naturally to what they change. For example, in the latest assignment I made, clicking the “new result” option should visibly just replace the current football match result instead of producing an unexplained or unexpected change. At the end, the reading made me wonder how designers can keep an interface visually clean and clear while still providing enough signifiers and instructions, especially for a first-time user.