The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition Audiobook (Free)

The best guide to human-centered design

Also the smartest in our midst can experience inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn about, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door.

The problem, argues this ingenious — even liberating — publication, lies not in ourselves, but in item design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The problems range from ambiguous and hidden controls to arbitrary human relationships between handles and functions, coupled with too little feedback or various other assistance and unreasonable needs on memorization.

The Design of Everyday Things demonstrates good, usable design is possible. The guidelines are basic: make issues visible, exploit organic relationships that few function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints. The goal: guide an individual effortlessly to the right action on the right control at the proper time.

The Design of Everyday Things is a robust primer on what — and why — some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.