Previously published as: The Psychology of Everyday Things
This book focuses on how everyday things such as doors, sinks, telephones, etc. have many design issues that affect the actual use of the object. It turns out that not all designs are thought through completely. Sometimes exceptions are made for purely aesthetic reasons which in all reality cancel out the usefulness of the item in the first place. For instance, the author repeatedly mentioned the fact that doors are sometimes ambiguous on how to open them. Either pushing, pulling, push then pull, slide left, slide right, slide up, etc. Sometimes this works, but often the natural mapping of the action is completely lost.
Natural mapping is a key part in the book. An object must upon first glance be understandable of its use and function. Objects that accomplish this task and that look aesthetically pleasing are rare and should be noted for the designers hard work. This is often not the case. Often, the exact opposite is true. Designers are awarded for the most aesthetically pleasing objects and functionality is completely disregarded. This only furthers the problem. Another key point in the book.
This book is a very interesting read and I am very glad I got the chance to read it. It gave me many thought provoking ideas and made me question why things were designed the way they were and why it hasn't changed for the better yet. If this book is a marker for what this class will entail, I would be very excited about this semester. I am not sure if this will hold true for the rest of the course, but I will definitely be more willing to start the books early for the mere fact that it is enjoyable reading.
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