Donald Norman - Device Quotes

7 Sourced Quotes

View all 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
Simplification is as much in the mind as it is in the device.

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.

Donald Norman
Any time you see signs or labels added to a device, it is an indication of bad design: a simple lock should not require instructions.

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.

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
What makes something simple or complex? It's not the number of dials or controls or how many features it has: It is whether the person using the device has a good conceptual model of how it operates.

Donald Norman