Norman's Design Principles
Core ideas from Don Norman on how people understand and use things.
Why it matters
They explain why a design is confusing, and not just that it is.
The essentials
- Discoverability: can people see what is possible?
- Feedback: do they know what happened?
- Conceptual model: do they understand how it works?
- Affordances: what actions are possible?
- Signifiers: what shows where to act?
- Mapping: do controls match their effects?
- Constraints: what prevents mistakes?
How to use it
- Add clear signifiers to anything interactive.
- Give feedback for every action.
- Use constraints to prevent errors.
Example
A door handle that looks pullable on a door you must push is a classic signifier failure.