Chap2-Intro2DesignConcepts

Chapter 2 – Norman’s Design Concepts

• Affordance, Constraints, Feedback, Visibility • Norman’s concepts in the physical world • Norman’s concepts in the digital world and on the Web

In chapter 1 we discussed the 7 principles and associated guidelines for Universal Design. As mentioned in the quote from the Center for Universal Design site, the practice of design goes beyond just Universal Design principles. Incorporating UD into the process of design ensures that we will be developing sites and digital media which are more effective and usable but we also need to know the basic principles of good design in general. In this chapter we will explore basic principles of design as articulated by Donald Norman, a cognitive scientist who has a significant influence on the design of both objects in the physical world and on digital design.

Affordance, Constraints, Feedback, Visibility

Norman has explored the way the human beings interact with objects in the world and has developed a set of principles for designing “interfaces” that best communicate to users how to operate devices. Most of the time we are not conscious of the information a device communicates to us – this usually indicates a design. If we have to think about how to operate a device, that usually means that the operation of a device is not clearly communicated.

Norman’s key principles are affordance, constraints, feedback and visibility. Affordance, probably Norman’s and the key concept for design, is the information a device communicates to the user on operation. In the design of physical devices, this is most often communicated by the shape of the device and by other visible components. (Use example of scissor and door).

Constraints

Feedback

Visibility