Reflecting on Don Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things”

“Somehow, when a device as simple as a door has to have a sign telling you whether to pull, push, or slide, then it is a failure, poorly designed.”

Don Norman, The Design of Everyday Things, pg. 133

My interest in equitable and accessible design solutions stems from my own curiosity, observations and reflections of objects, and how different people interact with them in daily life. And then last year my uncle Nitin Sharma recommended Don Norman’s popular book The Design of Everyday Things. At first glance, without even reading the book, I was stunned by the profound meaning hidden in the cover picture—a seemingly normal teapot that, upon closer examination, revealed numerous fundamental design issues. This moment as I analyzed the flaws in the design of the teapot opened my eyes to the power and impact of good design. Until then, I had associated design and user experience (UX) simply as one more necessary step to finish a product. However, Norman’s book showed me that understanding user experiences is fundamental to implementing a new technology solution. In fact, UX may be the single most important factor that will determine the adoption and success of a product. The principles of UX design don’t only apply to websites and apps, but to every solution we interact with including extremely basic objects such as stovetops, doors, light switches, and even a teapot, a picture of which forms the cover of the book.

As I read through the book, my understanding of UX design broadened, and a world full of new opportunities opened up. I found myself closely analyzing the user experience of almost every object I utilized in my life. From critiquing apps to identifying design flaws in normal objects like boarding tickets, I learned the power in empathizing with users. Facing challenges as a user exposed me to universal struggles, while appreciating good user experiences and design showcased the power of thoughtful design choices. Nevertheless, in both excellent and poor designs, there is one common takeaway: learning. Both offer insights into what enhances or diminishes user experiences.

However, my number one takeaway from The Design of Everyday Things is Norman’s ideology on human error versus bad design. Often, users blame themselves for mistakes they make while using a product—I personally did that all the time. A particular example given by Norman, which resonates with me and likely with many others, is using stovetops. Norman details how he has turned on the wrong stove burners multiple times and always blamed himself for it. This experience happens to me almost every day, even though I have been using the same stove for the past 10 years. If I’ve been using it for so long, how come I continue to make the same exact mistake every day? The prevailing notion, consistently reinforced by those around me, the manufacturing company, and my social consciousness, is that I’m at fault for making the error. However, Norman presents a different way of looking at this. He believes that rather than blaming the user, designers should ask “Why” questions. Why do users keep making the error? Why do users have a difficult time associating a stove burner with the wrong switch? After asking such questions, Norman reaches the conclusion that the error lies in the stove top design rather than in users like me. Norman firmly advocates that “Root cause analysis is the name of the game” (Norman 164). Instead of blaming users, designers should strive to understand why the error was caused in the first place. To me, this ideology emphasizes the significance of understanding users and their pain points rather than blaming them for incorrectly using the product. As someone whose mission is to create accessible and equitable design solutions, this ideology has become a guiding principle for me.

With confidence, I can say that after reading Don Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things,” my understanding and perception of UX design has broadened in the most positive manner. I have grown as a designer, thinker and, most importantly, as an individual who recognizes the deep significance of empathizing with users. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, regardless of their experience level in UX, who has an interest in gaining a new perspective on user experience and creating impactful UX design.