122 Quotes by Donald A. Norman

The best kind of design isn’t necessarily an object, a space, or a structure: it’s a process- dynamic and adaptable.

A device is easy to use when the set of possible actions is visible, when the controls and displays exploit natural mappings.

A brilliant solution to the wrong problem can be worse than no solution at all: solve the correct problem.

It is the duty of machines and those who design them to understand people. It is not our duty to understand the arbitrary, meaningless dictates of machines.

What makes something simple or complex? It’s not the number of dials or controls or how many features it has: It is whether the person using the device has a good conceptual model of how it operates.

A challenge to the designers of the world: Make signs unnecessary.

It is easy to design devices that work well when everything goes as planned. The hard and necessary part of design is to make things work well even when things do not go as planned.

We expert teachers know that motivation and emotional impact are what matter.

Because visceral design is about initial reactions, it can be studied quite simply by putting people in front of a design and waiting for reactions. In the best of circumstances, the visceral reaction to appearance works so well that people take one look and say “I want it.” Then they might ask, “What does it do?” And last, “And how much does it cost?” This is the reaction the visceral designer strives for, and it can work. Much of traditional market research involves this aspect of design.