Donald Norman quotes

Go to the bookstore and look at how many bookshelves are filled with books trying to explain how to work the devices. We don't see shelves of books on how to use television sets, telephones, refrigerators or washing machines. Why should we for computer-based applications? (Donald Norman)
So what does a good teacher do? Create tension - but just the right amount. View quote
Donald Norman
In my opinion, no single design is apt to be optimal for everyone. View quote
Donald Norman
To me, error analysis is the sweet spot for improvement. View quote
Donald Norman
We expert teachers know that motivation and emotional impact are what matter. View quote
Donald Norman
I prefer design by experts - by people who know what they are doing. View quote
Donald Norman
When a device as simple as a door has to come with an instruction manual-even a one-word manual-then it is a failure, poorly designed. View quote
Donald Norman
People Propose, Science Studies, Technology Conforms. View quote
Donald Norman
The major problems facing the development of products that are safer, less prone to error, and easier to use and understand are not technological: they are social and organizational. View quote
Donald Norman
As the technology matures, it becomes less and less relevant. The technology is taken for granted. Now, new customers enter the marketplace, customers who are not captivated by technology, but who instead want reliability, convenience, no fuss or bother, and low cost. View quote
Donald Norman
In their work, designers often become expert with the device they are designing. Users are often expert at the task they are trying to perform with the device. [...] Professional designers are usually aware of the pitfalls. But most design is not done by professional designers, it is done by engineers, programmers, and managers. (Donald Norman)
Innocence lost is not easily regained. The designer simply cannot predict the problems people will have, the misinterpretations that will arise, and the errors that will get made. View quote
Donald Norman
If people keep buying poorly designed products, manufacturers and designers will think they are doing the right thing and continue as usual. View quote
Donald Norman
Serious accidents are frequently blamed on "human error." Yet careful analysis of such situations shows that the design or installation of the equipment has contributed significantly to the problems. The design team or installers did not pay sufficient attention to the needs of those who would be using the equipment, so confusion or error was almost unavoidable. View quote
Donald Norman
Creeping featurism is a disease, fatal if not treated promptly. There are some cures, but, as usual, the best approach is to practice preventative medicine. View quote
Donald Norman
We are victims of our own success. We have let technology lead the way, pushing ever faster to newer, faster, and more powerful systems, with nary a moment to rest, contemplate, and to reflect upon why, how, and for whom all this energy has been expended. View quote
Donald Norman
Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. [...] The advent of hypertext is apt to make writing much more difficult, not easier. Good writing, that is. View quote
Donald Norman
When you have trouble with things-whether it's figuring out whether to push or pull a door or the arbitrary vagaries of the modern computer and electronics industries-it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself: blame the designer. View quote
Donald Norman
When I use a direct manipulation system-whether for text editing, drawing pictures, or creating and playing games-I do think of myself not as using a computer but as doing the particular task. The computer is, in effect, invisible. The point cannot be overstressed: make the computer system invisible. View quote
Donald Norman
Change the attitude toward errors. Think of an object's user as attempting to do a task, getting there by imperfect approximations. Don't think of the user as making errors; think of the actions as approximations of what is desired. View quote
Donald Norman
Academics get paid for being clever, not for being right. (Donald Norman)
Good design is also an act of communication between the designer and the user, except that all the communication has to come about by the appearance of the device itself. The device must explain itself. View quote
Donald Norman
Computer scientists have so far worked on developing powerful programming languages that make it possible to solve the technical problems of computation. Little effort has gone toward devising the languages of interaction. View quote
Donald Norman
In the consumer economy taste is not the criterion in the marketing of expensive soft drinks, usability is not the primary criterion in the marketing of home and office appliances. We are surrounded with objects of desire, not objects of use. View quote
Donald Norman
Technologists are not noted for learning from the errors of the past. They look forward, not behind, so they repeat the same problems over and over again. [...] As each new technology matures, customers are no longer happy with the flashy promises of the technology but instead demand understandable and workable designs. Slowly the manufacturers relearn the same basic principles and apply them to their products. The most egregious failures always come from the developers of the most recent technologies. View quote
Donald Norman