Struggling to read "The Design Of Everyday Things"

Is anyone else having trouble reading "The Design Of Everyday Things" ?

I cant take it anymore. Donald A Norman is just an idiot. He complaints about EVERYTHING. He complains about a telephone which he can't understand how to work, and about a car radio he cant understand. Is he too darn lazy to pick up the user manual and read it and learn how the fuctions operate? Everything about a product is inside it's user manaul. No need to guess and imagine what certain controls and buttons do.

Everything technology wise now days requires you to read the help manual. You dont just pick up a PSP expect to know how to downgrade it. You cant even pickup a Scientic calculator and expect to know how to use all the features. You read the manual, and after some daily usage you will know how to use the item...I agree with him on some items like the doors which should say "Push" or "Pull" but the rest I feel is nonense.

Would you rather have a calculator the size of an A4 book with 100 buttons and the words printed on each button, or a small and compact one that has many features intergrated into a few buttons. Thats just the way of life nowdays.

I read was looking for a date and it says first published in 1989 or something like that. The world has evolved since 1989 and alot has changed since then..I mean even the digital watches of today only have 4 buttons but in combinations they achieve at least 12 functions. You cant just purchase a watch and expect to know how to you it. You read the manual.

I really hope Unisa trash this book for next years students because its outdated and unrealistic. I hope I myself can get through the rest of

this book without tearing the pages out and using it as a coaster, but I dunno if I can endure his complaining and moaning any longer

I welcome your comments and views...

Hi

i read the book in 2005. as for me, i want to be able to use things first time without reading a manual. i want to use a manual for advanced functions where one has to use a combination of keys.

i felt like you in 2004 when i started reading that book and developed an attitude, and i failed the course in that year. so, i had to be careful of my attitude towards the book in the following year, to can be able to gain from the book and then pass it.

i also felt that the book dragged some concepts too long and that it was too much common sense things that felt like a waste of time trying to read them.

anyhow, all the best with the module

Well i can't say the same.Passed the module last year !
I found the book very, very, interesting.
The aim ultimately is to teach one to design things that are not too complicated ;eg. if a design has too many functionalities then each one has to be explained... so the more you add the more you have to explain to the user of the design.

Anyway that's just my opinion.
Good luck !

Yeah more and more functions are added to the smallest appliances everyday so there is no escaping the manual. I dont see how a book written is 1980 is of any revalance today in the technology age. Products are being made smaller and smaller and packed with more features than ever before...I mean just look at the cellphones of today...You cant expect to "just know" how to operate the electronics of today, thats purely unrealistic. And it borders on common sense. You cant climb into a rocket and expect to know how to navigate it.

I think the human race is getting more intelligent and techno savy than any previous generation because they exposed to such things at a young age. Just look at the kids of today (and i am only 20) but im going off topic. All im trying to say is that things have changed dramatically since 1988 and in my opinion a more relevant and suitable book should be select for the next lot of inf120-8 students

I find it very boring and not very informative to me, BUT I guess u right tc. It's part of the sylabus so I guess will have to do something. Either read it or use a mates summary of it

Thanks for ur opionions and suggestions

(All above views are my opinions and views. If it offeneded anyone I apologise in advance!)

I started the book and found it somewhat amusing. While I may agree with some of the statements made in this forum, one should look at the processes involved in designing things. What made the designer design things the way they did and why it was necessary to change the design. Is it for aesthetical or functional reasons? Also, studying things from yester-year gives you an idea of why things are like this today. look at the progress made with cell phones. Some are darn difficult to operate and others are much simpler. Some look better, but functions poorly. Others look crap, but have myriads of features. We need to understand why this is so and improve on it.

It is complete crap, time for the UNISA to change the text book!!

I did this course last year and found it extremely useful. I found myself analysing and crit'ing modern designs (the new DSTV remote for example - BULLSHIT design)

I definitely think it broadens your mind in how devices/applications should be laid out for the user.

SkillS4eva - He does welcome the use of technical manuals, but he crits the fact that companies start latching onto the fact that people must use a manual, even for simple functions. The focus should be on a good design, not how fancy it lewks or how many unlabelled buttons you can fit onto a remote.

Although the book is HORRIBLY laid out - HEAVY contradiction here.

Sanoz0r Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------


> The focus should be on a good design, not how fancy it lewks
> or how many unlabelled buttons you can fit onto a remote.
>

But take a digital watch for instance. How else can you design it and expect ppl to know how to use it? You cant unless you make the watch as big as a can of pepsi. Now the downside to that is it will look hideous and also no one will buy it. I would rather have a tiny watch and read the manual for 15 minutes than have a watch the size of cement brick that has the buttons labled and all the instructions on the face of it.

The future of technology is smaller gadgets:

PSX > PS1 > PSP.
Laptop > Notebook > Viao

Future products will just be getting smaller & smaller and because of this there is no longer room on devices to have big stickers and labels marking how to use every feature. Its impractical.

I see the future of technology moving towards cramming as many features in as few buttons as possible in the smallest design possible, which will FORCE everyone to read the manual for 15 minutes.

It's 15 minutes for a device that you will have for at least a year...I just see it common sense..

BUT doors should say push pull

I did this course last year, and found myself giggling at Norman's humor quite a few times. Despite the amusing read, it was not a great subject to write an exam on.

i think Norman's book is a complete and utter design failure.this book is a brilliant example of the designer not being the user!!!!Yes, Yes i managed to learn something.As much as i love reading the anecdotes of Norman's well traveled life, i have 7 more modules to study for.I wish he'll just get to the point.As for the small compacted print,were they trying to save on ink and paper- i felt like i needed 3ple-lens bifocals.Can someone please extract for me the important points from the entwined mishmash of text by Norman.PLEASE,someone out there,save my SANITY and SIGHT!

Hi All

Does anyone have access to a past exam paper for this module ...