The Design of Everyday Things- Chapters 1&2

Lots and lots of examples of bad design!
I find this book and the author a little bit amusing in that some of the things that are designed seem like the person that designed them had never looked or checked into how they were used.

Especially Fig 1.1

Oh, yeah the person getting trapped inside the Post office. -its actually humorous

The example of the phone system in Fig1.4 - that looks like its more complicated than trigonometry

Also the example of British Rail when they constructed a glass shelter for passengers, and the glass kept getting smash. Then they try to put up plywood and it gets grafited and carved into. A lose-lose situation here.

It makes sense that if you have a good conceptual model that it will allow you to predict the actions of the users.

Its amazing that yes there is a psychology in why things are developed in the way that the are. If this is not considered I believe that the designer will fail every time he designs something

Seven Stages of action
Forming the goal
Forming the intention specifiying an action
Executing the action
Perceiving the state of the world
Interpreting the state of the world
Evaluating the outcome

Using this knowledge will help you as a designer

1. Visibility
2. A Good Conceptual Model
3. Good mapping
4. Feedback