The Design of Everyday Things

Part operating manual for designers and part manifesto on the power of designing for people, The Design of Everyday Things is even more relevant today than it was when first published. -- Tim Brown, CEO, IDEO, and author of Change by Design This book changed the field of design. As the pace of technological change accelerates, the principles in this book are increasingly important. The new examples and ideas about design and product development make it essential reading. -- Patrick Whitney, Dean, Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology The cumulated insights and wisdom of the cross-disciplinary genius Donald Norman are a must for designers and a joy for those who are interested in artifacts and people. -- Cees de Bont, Dean, School of Design, Chair Professor of Industrial Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

A fully updated and expanded edition of Don Norman's classic and influential work, which pioneered the application of cognitive science to design.

A fully updated and expanded edition of Don Norman's classic and influential work, which pioneered the application of cognitive science to design.

Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we try to figure out the shower control in a hotel or attempt to navigate an unfamiliar television set or stove. When The Design of Everyday Things was published in 1988, cognitive scientist Don Norman provocatively proposed that the fault lies not in ourselves, but in design that ignores the needs and psychology of people. Fully revised to keep the timeless principles of psychology up to date with ever-changing new technologies, The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful appeal for good design, and a reminder of how—and why—some products satisfy while others only disappoint.