Donald A. Norman's Blog, page 4

Complessit�� vs confusione (Domus Academy Interview)

I recently took part in the 10th Anniversary celebration of Maria Grazia Mattei's "Meet the Media Guru" program based in Milan, Italy (I was her guest in 2010).  As part of the celebration, I presented a talk in Milan and was interviewed by Stefania Garassini for an article in the magazine of the Domus Academy. (Milan's Domus Academy is one of the world's major design schools. The Domus Academy of San Diego is an offshoot of the one in Milan and my Design...

Fast Company article about the evils of email

John Pavlus, a writer and filmmaker focusing on science, tech, and design topics, interviewed me for an article he was writing for Fast Company. It is now published with the endearing title "How Email Became The Most Reviled Communication Experience Ever."

Automatic Cars Or Distracted Drivers: We Need Automation Sooner, Not Later

I have long argued that we need to go slow with automation in the automobile. There were still too many unsolved problems. I have now changed my mind. Why? Because there are far more problems with the increasing number of distractions for drivers, too many new devices, too many new temptations. Imperfect driving is potentially more dangerous than imperfect automation. Add to this the other benefits to those today who are unable to drive: the elderly, the handicapped, and of course the blind.

Automation versus distraction? I bet on automation, and the sooner the better.

Design with humans in mind: Interview in APS Observer

Mariko Hewer of the Association for Psychological Science interviewed me and wrote a nice discussion of the role that psychology should be playing in design. Too much of psychological research is abstract and over-specialized, that when it comes to answering what appear to be simple questions, the science does not provide answers. Do we need those abstractions? Yes, they are essential. Do we need fundamental research? Absolutely. But we also need studies of how to apply our findings in real, natural settings, outside of the laboratory, outside of artificial constraints.

There are lots of interesting opportunities in the world of applications. Opportunities, jobs, and even research funding. I encourage psychologists to work with industry to help apply our knowledge. The world will be a better place as a result.

CNN video: Why emotion is an important part of design

CNN filmed me talking about Emotional Design. Then they pieced together a 3 1/3 minute video of me wandering about, tugging at my beard, and uttering sound bites.http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/05/......

UC San Diego Postdoc in Human-Centered Healthcare

The Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego is embarking upon a large, major project in healthcare for complex problems. We are working with the Medical School, various departments at UC San Diego, and several funding agencies in this endeavor. The emphasis is on the processes and structure associated with modern healthcare. We seek a Design Fellow to assist with a project to better understand the complex cognitive ecosystem of healthcare who can help us define, explore, and implement new processes and procedures aimed at improving medical care for complex cases. We seek a Design Fellow to assist with a project to better understand the complex cognitive ecosystem of healthcare who can help us define, explore, and implement new processes and procedures aimed at improving medical care for complex cases.

Inside My Design Mind (Autodesk interview)

Heather Miller of AutoDesk interviewed me for AutoDesk's Line/Shape/Space magazine.She entitled the article "Inside My Design Mind: Don Norman, Human-Centered Design Leader," but I caution the reader that it got published on April 1, 2015, which is "April Fools' Day." Be wary of trusting anything published on April 1. ...

Positive computing: technology for wellbeing and human potential (Calvo & Peters)

The design of human-computer systems used to focus upon the negative, the breakdowns that confused and confounded people. Now it is time to move to the next level, to focus upon the positive, systems that are enjoyable and pleasurable.

We need systems that delight as well as inform, systems that create pleasure along with useful function. We need systems that are resilient, that promote control, understanding, and sometimes just plain pleasure. The design field has responded by examining the role of emotions and pleasure in design. We need to move these findings into mainstream computing.

Why Procrastination Is Good

Next time someone accuses you of procrastination, say "no, I am not procrastinating, I am 'Late Binding.' " That should shut them up.

Let me argue for late binding - delay, or if you like, procrastination - as a preferred way of life. Delaying decisions until the time for action is beneficial for lots of reason. Practice late binding. Planning never produces the exact answer for the exact conditions that take place. People always will change their behavior. In fact, people have no choice when unexpected events occur. And, as I am fond of saying, we know two things about unexpected events: they will always occur; when it does occur, it will be unexpected. So prepare. Study. Get ready. But delay the actual decision as late as possible. Procrastinate. Practice late binding.

The Human Side of Automation

The technological requirements for self-driving cars are extremely complex, and although we are now able to succeed in a very high percentage of the situations, those last few percentages contain the most difficult, the most daunting challenges. As automation gets better and better, then the problems of vigilance increase, for the more reliable the system, the less for a person to do, and the mind wandering begins.

Do not take people out of the loop: have them always know what is happening. How do we do this in a meaningful way? By asking people to make high-level decisions, to continually be making decisions.

Human pattern recognition and high-level statement of goals and plans are good. But here is what we are bad at: the ability to monitor for long periods, to be precise and accurate, to respond quickly and properly when an unexpected event arrives where the person has not been attending. So, have us do what we are good at. Have the automation do what we are bad at. Aim for collaboration, not supervision.