Why Everything Is So Annoying
The Design of Everyday Things
by Don Norman
Science & Tech
TL;DR
This book is basically your guide to understanding why some stuff is a joy to use and other stuff makes you wanna scream. It's all about human-centered design, meaning things should be built for us, not against us. You'll learn about affordances (what an object's shape tells you to do), signifiers (the little hints that guide you), mapping (when controls make logical sense), and feedback (when a system tells you it heard you). It's less about fancy tech and more about common sense design principles that make life less of a confusing mess. Basically, it teaches you how to spot bad design and appreciate good design, making you a low-key design snob who understands why that stupid door is so hard to open.
Action Items
Look at five random objects around you. Can you immediately tell how to use them without instructions? If not, they're failing the 'Duh!' test.
Find a remote control. Are the buttons logically grouped and positioned relative to what they control? If not, it's probably designed by someone who hates fun.
Use an app on your phone. Does it give you clear feedback when you tap something? If not, it's probably gaslighting you.
Try to explain how your Wi-Fi works to a five-year-old. The simplified version you create is your conceptual model. Is it accurate enough to troubleshoot basic issues?
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Key Chapter
Chapter - Why Your Toaster Hates You (aka Affordances & Signifiers)
Alright, so imagine you walk up to a door. If it's got a big, flat plate, you probably push it, right? That's an affordance – the object's physical properties screaming at you what to do. But what if it's a flat plate, but you're supposed to pull? That's where signifiers come in – those little hints like a 'PULL' sign or a handle that's clearly for pulling. This chapter basically breaks down why some things are intuitive (like a big red 'STOP' button) and others are a total mind-fuck (like a shower with five identical knobs). It's all about how objects communicate their purpose, or fail to, making you feel either like a genius or a total idiot. Good design makes the 'duh!' obvious.
Key Methods and Approaches
The 'Duh!' Button
(AKA: Affordances & Signifiers)
Description:
How objects literally scream at you (or don't) about how to use them, based on their shape and added hints.
Explanation:
Imagine you're at a party, and someone's holding out a beer. You instinctively know to grab it, right? That's an affordance – the beer bottle is practically begging to be held. Now, if they're holding a weird, unidentifiable blob, and you have no idea if you're supposed to eat it, wear it, or throw it, that's bad design. Signifiers are like the little 'drink me' label on the beer, or the 'don't touch' sign on the blob. They're the extra clues that tell your monkey brain what's up.
Examples:
A push bar on a door vs. a flat plate with no handle (you'll push the bar, but might struggle with the plate).
A big red button vs. a tiny grey one (the red one screams 'press me!').
A clearly marked 'swipe card here' slot vs. just a random slit (one is obvious, the other is a guessing game).
Today's Action:
Look at five random objects around you. Can you immediately tell how to use them without instructions? If not, they're failing the 'Duh!' test.
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