Book Review: "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman

"The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman is a seminal book in the field of design and user experience. In this book, Norman explores the fundamental principles of good design and how it impacts our everyday lives.

One of the key strengths of this book is Norman's ability to explain complex design concepts in a relatable and accessible manner. He uses numerous examples from everyday objects to illustrate his points, demonstrating how good design can make our lives easier and more enjoyable. Norman emphasizes the importance of designing with the user in mind and provides practical advice on creating intuitive and user-friendly products.

One of the central themes in the book is the concept of affordances. Norman explains that objects should provide clear and intuitive clues about how they are meant to be used. When objects have good affordance, users can easily understand their purpose and how to interact with them. Norman also delves into the concept of feedback, highlighting the importance of providing clear and immediate feedback to users so that they can understand the outcome of their actions.

Another notable aspect of “The Design of Everyday Things” is Norman's exploration of the psychology of human behavior and cognition. He delves into topics such as mental models, memory, and attention and how these factors influence our interaction with designed objects. By understanding users' cognitive processes, you can create products that align with users' mental models and make interactions more intuitive.

Norman also addresses the concept of error in design and highlights the importance of error prevention and recovery. He advocates for designing forgiving systems, allowing users to correct their mistakes easily. By designing for errors, you can minimize frustration and enhance the overall user experience.

"The Design of Everyday Things" is relevant to anyone interested in understanding the impact of design on our daily lives. It encourages readers to question and critique the design of everyday objects and offers insights into how design can be improved to better meet users' needs.

In conclusion, “The Design of Everyday Things” is a thought-provoking and influential book that challenges conventional notions of design. Don Norman's expertise and engaging writing style make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of design and human behavior. It offers valuable insights and practical guidelines that can help you create intuitive, user-friendly products that truly enhance our everyday experiences.

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My flexible pricing model

Working with traditional freelancer/agency pricing can get complicated. My pricing model is simpler.

Simply hire me by the month at a fixed cost starting at $3k.

Need to pause the work? That’s fine. Since there aren’t any long-term contracts, we can pick things up later when the time is right.

Schedule a consultation call to discuss my other rate tiers, go over any questions you have, and walk through the next steps.

A little about me

My Niche

As a Product Design Lead, I specialize in unraveling UX to provide an unmatched UI with hands-on design for companies around the globe.

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My purpose

Everything I do is centered around helping people live fuller lives — a driver for what gets me up each morning. That can take many shapes, such as pro-bono work for non-profits, mentoring other designers, or designing life-changing products.

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Life-altering moment:

In 2016, I suffered a life-altering traumatic brain injury and lost my ability to do much of anything. Without the ability to fully comprehend language, living with constant vertigo and depression, and the loss of my creative problem-solving skills — my life was turned upside down.

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Fast-forward to today. I consider myself one of the lucky few who fully recovered from something like that.

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My superpowers

Simplifying the complex, pinpointing a person's hidden pain, and breathing new life into outdated UIs.

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Some facts:

I live in Portland, Oregon, once had a 30-person design agency for over a decade, launched my own SaaS products, and am raising 3 boys (the latter being the hardest but most rewarding!).

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Next steps & process

Once a pricing tier has been selected, we’ll coordinate a start date. What I do next is dependent on your needs:

Create a product from the ground up

I’ll start with deep research into your industry, including investigating what competitors are doing well or not. 

After synthesizing those findings, I will create a flow diagram, mapping every step of the customer journey. 

From there, I focus on wireframing every core screen of the experience. 

After collaborating to refine the UX, I move into UI designs, where I visually bring the product to life.

Often, creating a Design System at this stage is essential. If needed, I also create interactive prototypes for user testing and feedback. 

Once we’re happy with the design direction, I’ll finish designing as many screens as we need for a successful developer hand-off.

Revitalize or iterate an existing product

I’ll start with deep research into your product, including investigating what competitors are doing well or not. 

After synthesizing those findings, I will create a flow diagram, mapping every step of the customer journey. 

From there, I focus on wireframing every core screen of the experience. 

After collaborating to refine the UX, I move into UI designs, where I visually bring the product to life.

Often, creating a Design System at this stage is essential. If needed, I also create interactive prototypes for user testing and feedback. 

Once we’re happy with the design direction, I’ll finish designing as many screens as we need for a successful developer hand-off.

Audit an existing product

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