Rating: 
Summary: A Must-Read for all industrial designers
Review: This book should be a pre-requisite for all entering students in industrial design or at least a textbook for a class in human factors/ergonomics. That it is so enjoyable to read for non-designers is a plus.
Rating: 
Summary: A brief introduction to human-machine interactions
Review: This book, while dated, attracted my attention as a primer for the world of human-machine interactions. It covers well some common mistakes made by designers, and offers different ways of thinking (and procedures) crafted to help those building interfaces (physical or electronic) improve the experience of th end user.I'd love to see this book brought back to life in an updated, modern form; even so, the content within is highly relevant to today's computer-driven world. This, and many like it, should be required reading for anyone designing something that another human will be required to use.
Rating:
Summary: A brief introduction to human-machine interactions
Review: This book, while dated, attracted my attention as a primer for the world of human-machine interactions. It covers well some common mistakes made by designers, and offers different ways of thinking (and procedures) crafted to help those building interfaces (physical or electronic) improve the experience of th end user. I'd love to see this book brought back to life in an updated, modern form; even so, the content within is highly relevant to today's computer-driven world. This, and many like it, should be required reading for anyone designing something that another human will be required to use.
Rating:
Summary: Best book you'll ever read
Review: This excellent psych book explains things you've always wondered about. Should be required reading in ALL SCHOOLS, especially for people who design homes, doors, faucets, and any general contractors. Best book you'll ever read - BUY IT NOW.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting for everyone
Review: This is not a book on Psychology, nor it is written just for designers. Every person who read this book will find interesting information and will recognize some own experiences trying to make some devices work, and I do not mean complex ones, but as simple as a light switch. Actually, as the title reads, the book deals with "everyday things," though there are some parts that use examples like a nuclear plant or a cockpit. Of course, we do not need to read this book to use such things, but you would enjoy reading it.
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Summary: Design for everyday Human Behavior
Review: This is one of the seminal works in the field of User Centered Design...Norman wrote this book well before the Windows operating system was as familiar as the Golden Arches which only reinforces the idea that certain basic usability principles transcend all forms of objects-from glass doors to Windows Explorer. Norman does a great job of describing why and how we successfully and unsuccessfully use everyday objects with relevant anecdotes. His stories are usually accompanied with lists of principles that explain good design and account for human behavior. For example, the fundamental principals of designing for people are to: Provide a good conceptual model, make controls visible and to constantly provide feedback to the user. So how does one employ good user-centered design? Norman recapitulates his points at the end of the book by listing the seven UCD principles for transforming difficult tasks into easy ones: 1.Use both knowledge in the world and in the head
2.Simplify the structure of tasks
3.Make things visible
4.Get the mappings right
5.Exploit the powers of constraints Natural & Artificial
6.Design for Error
7.When all else fails, standardize It's mandatory reading for any usability software engineer but also an interesting and well written book for anyone who's ever pushed a "pull door" or scalded themselves in the shower (which is all of us).
Rating:
Summary: Changed my thinking
Review: This is the most inspiring design book I've every read. I wish it was mandatory for all designers. Even a non-designer would appreciate the way this book can open your eyes to the design of all things around us, and realise the good and the bad, and even the how and why. Too many designers sell out to "being different" without thinking of functionality and usability. This book helped me appreciate the beauty of the marriage of form and function, and it established the foundation of the way I approach my design.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent starter book for user interface design!
Review: This was my first human factors type book, and I very much enjoyed it. As a software engineer, this book was very helpful in putting a structure to ideas that I had thought of as common sense. Ideas such as giving the user visual cues as to function, providing feedback, and presenting the user with a clear conceptual model are a few of the ideas which are outlined in this book. While any one of these might be thought of as obvious once illustrated, the book provides a framework for design by listing them and making it clear what the tradeoffs are. With many real world examples to illustrate his points, as well as to amuse the reader, I found this book very clear and easy to read. The next time that I sit down to design a user interface I'll have a much clearer and organized approach to both design and to evaluate the design that I've created.
Rating:
Summary: Don't blame youself - there is a reason.
Review: What a relief!
Finally, I'm beginning to understand why things are the (weird) way they are. It's really encouraging to learn that it's not just me being dense - things ARE sometimes badly designed. Over and over again.
What a great world this would be if designers paid a little attention to the things discussed in this book. Maybe it wouldn't fix the ozone hole but it sure would improve the everyday situation for the average human being, including you and me.
Read it, have a good laugh, get mad, and start to call for a change. If no-one complains, nothing's gonna change.
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