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The Psychology of Everyday Things
Donald Norman
Great cover picture - a coffee pot with both handle and spout on same side.
Everybody thinks they're incompetent at working simple things of everyday life. When they make a mistake they attribute it to own 'mechanical ineptitude.' In fact people do not usually behave stupidly or clumsily, but they do when have to use things which are badly designed.
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Well designed objects are easy to understand and use. They have visible clues to their operation. Poorly designed object can be difficult and frustrating because provide either no clues or false clues.
Many modern appliances look like Hollywood's idea of spaceship controls, much to the consternation of consumer, who often has lost the instruction manual.
Design is not easy - manufacturer wants to produce item economically; the store wants it to be attractive to the buyer; the purchaser focuses on other factors such as price, and, when he gets it home, usability; and the repair shop cares about how easy it is to dismantle.
It usually takes 5 or 6 attempts to get a product right. If it is a new product and it fails when first tried in the marketplace, it is usually dropped.
Development follows a U-shaped curve of complexity. New devices are complex and difficult to use. Then as its main use becomes clearer, they become simpler, more reliable, and more powerful. But then, newcomers figure outhowto add increased power and capability, but always at the cost of added complexity.
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