Book Snippet: The Design of Everyday Things – Donald A. Norman (1988)

Another book snippet, this time it is from the school of design, Donald A. Norman takes a wander through the world of design and psychology in an endearingly conversational way.

He looks at how basic designs of doors and light switches are either fatally flawed or intelligently simple. His first argument is about the psychology of making mistakes using objects like photocopiers and even doors. Interestingly, the book was previously published as The Psychology of Everyday Things;

‘With badly designed objects – constructed so as to lead to misunderstanding… no wonder people feel guilty when they have trouble using objects, especially when they perceive (even if incorrectly) that nobody else is having the same problems’ p. 42

The author uses the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant accident in 1979 as an example, describing how the light and valve were not apparent indicators of the leak and suggested that bad design was at fault. Overall, he demonstrates the importance of good design should not only be present in the household or office, but in industry too.

I looked at his segments on feedback because it is an incredibly crucial aspect of game design, showing feedback, input and output. It is the way the player interacts – and knows they are interacting – with the game, be it with the main menu or shooting enemies. One example, though primarily visceral, is blood erupting from the enemy when the player shoots them.

‘Feedback – sending back to the user information about what action has been actually done, what result has been accomplished – is a well-known concept in the science of control and information theory’ p. 27

His examples are clever and made me think:

‘Imagine trying to talk to someone when you cannot even hear your own voice, or trying to draw a picture with a pencil that leaves no mark: there would be no feedback’ p.27

Although games are described as being user friendly up until the game starts, the challenge constituting the main form of entertainment and reason for being hooked, the above example immediately sounded like a game to me, a challenge, a clear goal: to communicate or to draw a picture accurately. When reading this from the point of view of games design, it becomes intriguing: to get across an office in real life should be made as easy as possible. In a game, however, the office plan will be convoluted and elaborate, and plenty of chest high walls! Good examples are the offices in Serif Industries in Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011) and the Abstergo laboratory filled with animus machines at the very start of Desmond's escape in Assassin’s Creed 2 (2009).

Interestingly, Norman states that ‘Designers often think of themselves as typical users’ and that ‘… there is no substitute for interaction with and study of actual users of a proposed design’ p. 155. Play testing and user testing is essential in any design, I have been on both sides of the evaluation, and it is fascinating how you may find something difficult or hindering while someone else finds it is a non-issue, demonstrating the importance of having a wide-ranging set of testers, based on the products intended target audience.

Norman’s idea on packing things with features is that of overkill:

‘Creeping featurism is the tendency to add to the number of features that a device can do, often extending the number beyond all reason… [it] is a disease, fatal if not treated properly’ p.  173

Considering when the book was written, hopefully it could be said that designers have since vastly improved the user’s experience of handling their products, especially as tablets are used for educating children with their interactive and exciting apps.

His funny anecdote of a study into law firm’s choice of photocopiers suggests the importance of complex looking equipment to bolster their image with their clients;

‘The designer –and user- may further be tempted to worship complexity… They discovered that the most expensive, most feature-laden machines were best sellers among law firms…’ p. 174

Overall, his argument revolves around user-centered-design, smart design, thoughtful design. He talks about the human mind being incredibly intuitive, ‘give it the slightest clue and off it goes, providing explanation, rationalization, understanding’ p. 2. Much like how game players are given a hint, a lit alley way, and the player knows which way to go, not the cleverest example, but an effective one.

Norman’s ending statement is poignant and cheerful, a positive note to end on;

‘Walk around the world examining the details of design. Take pride in the little things that help; think kindly of the person who so thoughtfully put them in… the designer may have had to fight to include something helpful. Give mental prizes to those who practice good design: send flowers’ p. 217

Perhaps that’s an idea for another blog entry I will write in the future because I have many flowers to send.