Design Thinking Through Norman’s Eyes - A Chapter 6 Takeaway
Norman’s ideas in this chapter are vital for HCI, showing how design thinking helps create solutions that are not only functional but also user-friendly. By applying these principles, designers can build better technology that works seamlessly for everyone. Chapter 6 of The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman explains how design thinking helps in problem-solving and developing user-friendly products. This process is important in HCI because it focuses on the understanding of users and designing solutions to meet their needs.
Norman’s ideas in this chapter are vital for HCI, showing how design thinking helps create solutions that are not only functional but also user-friendly. By applying these principles, designers can build better technology that works seamlessly for everyone. Chapter 6 of The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman explains how design thinking helps in problem-solving and developing user-friendly products. This process is important in HCI because it focuses on the understanding of users and designing solutions to meet their needs.
Design thinking isn't just a process - it's a mindset.
Chapter 6 of The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman continues to feel deeply relevant in today’s world of HCI and UX. This chapter explores how design thinking helps us build not just functional, but intuitive and human-centered technology.
Norman introduces a framework that emphasizes understanding the user before even thinking about the solution. He outlines five key stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test which map directly to what we now recognize as a modern UX workflow. These stages aren’t new, but Norman’s way of grounding them in psychology, engineering, and real-world failures (like a badly designed door) is what makes them timeless.
As a UX designer and researcher, I find his reflections on affordances and signifiers especially relevant clear visual or behavioral cues that guide users without needing explanation. When users don't need to guess, the interface feels natural. When they do, it fails silently. From frustrating doors to complex apps, Norman shows us that the emotional cost of bad design is real.
What stood out to me most is his perspective on iteration: the idea that no product gets it right the first time. In HCI, usability testing isn’t a bonus it’s a necessity. Norman reminds us that time, budget, and tech constraints will always exist, but they should never come at the cost of usability.
Finally, his forward-looking take on ethics and the future of design resonates today more than ever. As AI systems become more adaptive and interfaces more invisible, the responsibility on designers grows. We’re not just shaping tools we’re shaping behavior, values, and trust.
In a world of rapid innovation, Norman still reminds us: design is first and foremost about people.