Design of Everyday Things: Chapters 4 - 7

Chapter 4 Reactions

    To me,  Chapter 4 is about how design and become knowledge for a user. It goes about explaining the concepts of Physical, Semantic, and Cultural constraints. And it explains them with a nice lego example, explaining that even without instructions, most people can assemble a lego police motorcycle because it's good design and how constraints lead us to building it correctly. It then moves on to doors. Not necessary about any concept involving doors, but just doors. He explains common mistakes found in door designs and how they should be fixed, and how they relate to what we have learned thus far. Afterwards he does the same thing with switches. I like this chapter, but mostly for the beginning, reading on just about doors is silly and is an example of how he goes on and on, which I explained in my overall reaction.

Chapter 5 Reactions

     Chapter 5 is probably my favorite chapter. I was actually laughing out loud as I was reading the list of slips. And this is because I've done almost every single one. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who makes mistakes. Or, in this books case, makes slips. He explains the difference between a slip and a mistake, one being automatic and unnoticeable. The other being something you manually have to correct. The latter half of the chapter describes how design can prevent mistakes. It was sometimes fun, sometimes boring, an average second half.

Chapter 6 Reactions

     Chapter 6 is more about the process of design. It goes and explains how generations of products can be released and how design can evolve or it can not progress at all. In this chapter he used several real world examples like the faucet or the typewriter. He explained why a design can go wrong or get worse, he explained how a designer can see something as good but actually take a step backwards in design. This chapter didn't hold me like some of the others, I think it's a very good point, and I would re read if I were to ever want to improve upon someone else's design.

Chapter 7 Reactions

     The final chapter! Chapter 7 revolves around the Seven Principles for transforming a difficult task into an everyday one. This final chapter brings everything to a full circle by teaching you the process of design and encouraging you to apply what you have learned in previous chapters to create good design. He really makes it to where you connect all his points and create an overall image of design in your head.