Donald Norman Quotes

A collection of quotes by Donald Norman.

Donald Norman is a renowned psychologist, cognitive scientist, and designer known for his contributions in the field of human-centered design. Born on December 25, 1935, in Cleveland, Ohio, his work revolves around understanding how technology interacts with people and how design can enhance everyday experiences.

Norman received his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from MIT in 1957, followed by a master's degree in Psychology and a doctorate in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught at various prestigious institutions, including Harvard University, University of California, San Diego, and Northwestern University.

Throughout his career, Norman held influential positions at prominent technology companies, where he influenced the design of user-friendly technologies. Notably, he served as an executive at Apple and was responsible for establishing Apple's User Experience (UX) design group, focusing on making Apple products more intuitive and user-centric.

Norman published several highly acclaimed books, including "The Design of Everyday Things" (previously known as "The Psychology of Everyday Things"), "Emotional Design," and "Living with Complexity." His writings emphasize the importance of usability, human factors, and emotional aspects in design, shaping the field of user-centered design.

In recognition of his significant contributions, Norman received numerous awards, including the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer Science and Cognitive Science. He also co-founded the Nielsen Norman Group, a consulting firm dedicated to providing businesses with guidance on UX design and research.

Donald Norman's work has had a profound impact on the field of design, inspiring designers to create more intuitive, user-friendly, and emotionally engaging products and services.

In my opinion, no single design is apt to be optimal for eve

In my opinion, no single design is apt to be optimal for everyone.

Donald Norman


It is relatively easy to design for the perfect cases, when

It is relatively easy to design for the perfect cases, when everything goes right, or when all the information required is available in proper format.

Donald Norman

Design

Isn't one of your first exercises in learning how to communi

Isn't one of your first exercises in learning how to communicate to write a description of how to tie your shoelaces? The point being that it's basically impossible to use text to show that.

Donald Norman

Learning

I prefer design by experts - by people who know what they ar

I prefer design by experts - by people who know what they are doing.

Donald Norman

Design

I've been looking at the iPod- the Apple iPod. One of the in

I've been looking at the iPod- the Apple iPod. One of the interesting things about the iPod, one of the things that people love most about it is not the technology it's the box it comes in.

Donald Norman

Technology

User-centered design means working with your users all throu

User-centered design means working with your users all throughout the project.

Donald Norman

Design

Beauty and brains, pleasure and usability - they should go h

Beauty and brains, pleasure and usability - they should go hand in hand.

Donald Norman

Beauty

And to get real work experience, you need a job, and most jo

And to get real work experience, you need a job, and most jobs will require you to have had either real work experience or a graduate degree.

Donald Norman

Experience

I think there is a tendency in science to measure what is me

I think there is a tendency in science to measure what is measurable and to decide that what you cannot measure must be uninteresting.

Donald Norman

Science

We expert teachers know that motivation and emotional impact

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

Donald Norman

Teacher

So what does a good teacher do? Create tension - but just th

So what does a good teacher do? Create tension - but just the right amount.

Donald Norman

Teacher

Also note that invariably when we design something that can

Also note that invariably when we design something that can be used by those with disabilities, we often make it better for everyone.

Donald Norman

Design