A review by davidtennantslefteyebrow
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman
3.0
Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more if I was a designer or engineer instead of a casual enjoyer, but this book didn’t land with me. It has some interesting portions and it definitely made me evaluate the design choices of things around me a lot more closely.
Ultimately, it just feels out of date and dry. It felt like the purpose of the book was “users are always infallible and any issues someone has with your product is a result of your own failings, not the consumer.” There’s plenty to be said about poor design choices, but I don’t like the idea that every single product should be catering to the lowest common denominator of users. Some things aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay!
Ultimately, it just feels out of date and dry. It felt like the purpose of the book was “users are always infallible and any issues someone has with your product is a result of your own failings, not the consumer.” There’s plenty to be said about poor design choices, but I don’t like the idea that every single product should be catering to the lowest common denominator of users. Some things aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay!