Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman ISBN: 0-465-06710-7 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: 17 September, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.18 (74 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Do you get frustrated when using common objects?
Comment: I read this book because I saw the author on TechTV and because I thought it sounded interesting. Please excuse the colloquial form of this review because I feel it gives the most insight about the book! I started reading this book and found it quite interesting. Although some topics were a little "over my head" so to speak I think I am able to convey the general nature of the book. It talks about different aspects that are critical to good usability in design. It often used bad examples of design to show how they could have been created better. In its thorough explanation of the spatial relation of objects to their buttons I found it interesting that light switches could be arranged so that there wouldn't be a mystery as to what light they turned on. It also talked about how usability is often given up to other details such as manufacturability and aesthetics. It is a comprehensive resource for information regarding the design of products or systems that are easy to use. The pictures are somewhat outdated as mentioned in an other review. Also color pictures would have been nice although they drive publication costs to a higher price. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the inner workings of products and the philosophy behind the usability of these products!
-9th Grade Student (2002)-
Rating: 3
Summary: Strong point, but missing the main ingredient...
Comment: This book is a very good waterdown introduction to the issues most designers have to deal with when developing a project. All types of designers should read this book. It is very helpful because even though Mr. Norman often focuses on industrial products, the information he discusses is pivotal to the success of any product during its design stage. This applies to web designers as much as to industrial designers. I was a little disappointed to read reviews about this book from web designers saying that it was not necessarily helpful because it did not talk directly about web design. The reader should be more open and apply the concepts to their specific design field.
Now, there is a major flaw that I need to note about the book. This one deals with the practical issues behind a design, such as the pressure to show a unique interpretation that might win a prize and at the same time be a best seller with consumers. But the book does not deal with the issues behind desire -- the fact that people often buy things which are not usefull to them but are bought to fulfill their undefined desires. The book does not address this aspect of consumerism at all. All designers need to understand desire as much as possible. Mr. Norman merely mentioned it in the last two paragraphs of his final chapter. And it was in the passing; something which could be missed by someone who is not familiar with that topic in relation to design.
Be aware of that. I do recommend this book to be read. But it would be a very different book if he explored the fact that designers are not only pushed to develop something useful for the consumer, but are also pushed to create myth and desire which will keep the consumer coming back for more things which are not necessary to everyday life.
be aware of this, big, big, big boooooo boooo by Mr. Norman.
Rating: 5
Summary: Mind altering book.
Comment: If you design anything you will want to read this book. Even if you don't design what physically appears to a persons eye you want to read this. It is an amazing book which really changes your view of everything. After you read the first chapter of this book you'll start viewing the world differently. You'll start questioning why your VCR is like so, or why your DVD player is not like you think it should be. It is a fun book to read and a worthy one.
 |
Title: Emotional Design: Why We Love (Or Hate) Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman ISBN: 0465051359 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: 23 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
 |
Title: Things That Make Us Smart: Defending Human Attributes in the Age of the Machine by Donald A. Norman ISBN: 0201626950 Publisher: Perseus Publishing Pub. Date: May, 1994 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
 |
Title: The Inmates Are Running the Asylum : Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How To Restore The Sanity by Alan Cooper ISBN: 0672316498 Publisher: SAMS Pub. Date: 06 April, 1999 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
 |
Title: The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems by Jef Raskin ISBN: 0201379376 Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co Pub. Date: 29 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
 |
Title: Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug ISBN: 0789723107 Publisher: New Riders Pub. Date: 13 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
