Along with Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think!, few usability books come as highly recommended as The Design of Everyday Things. Originally written twenty years ago, Donald Norman’s book analyses the reasons why people interact with objects and systems in the way that they do and what can be done to make this process easier.
Instead of focusing on more specific computer examples of usability problems, Norman chooses to explain his theories with everyday objects like doors, taps and car radios. This not only allows the book to stand the test of time, but reminds us that usability is not just applicable to software; it’s applicable to everything.
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Published in Book reviews, Usability on 18th October 2008. No comments.
I haven’t been posting on here as frequently as I’d like, but I’ve written a few reviews for Thunderbolt in the last few weeks which you may be interested in:
FIFA 09
“Football fans are a loyal, optimistic bunch. Each year they pin their hopes on their team, praying that their support with finally pay off. Yet each season, early promise gives way to inevitable failure. The parallels with football games are uncanny; each year we hope and we’re told that this time we’ll get the title we deserve. In fact, FIFA 07’s motto was “This is the season”; it wasn’t. Euro 2008 was a surprisingly decent improvement over last year’s title, but has FIFA finally become the game we so want it to be?”
Read the full review
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Published in Videogames, tagged Thunderbolt on 12th October 2008. No comments.