The Design Of Everyday Things vs. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
The Design Of Everyday Things
Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious -- even liberating -- book, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The problems range from ambiguous and hidden controls to arbitrary relationships between controls and functions, coupled with a lack of feedback or other assistance and unreasonable demands on memorization. The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints. The goal: guide the user effortlessly to the right action on the right control at the right time. The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how -- and why -- some products satisfy customers while others only f...
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
From wikipedia: Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Meditations are worth reading if only to get a glimpse at the thoughts of a man who lived a life in truly extraordinary circumstances of being a Roman Emperor. It's surprising how relevant the themes of his diaries are two thousand years later.
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Frequently Asked Questions
'The Design Of Everyday Things' focuses specifically on the principles of product design and usability, making it highly relevant for those interested in how design affects user experience. In contrast, 'Meditations by Marcus Aurelius' offers insights into Stoic philosophy and personal conduct, which, while valuable, does not directly address product usability. Therefore, for understanding product usability, 'The Design Of Everyday Things' is more relevant.
'Meditations by Marcus Aurelius' provides significant historical context as it reflects the thoughts of a Roman Emperor during a pivotal time in history, offering insights into Stoic philosophy and personal conduct. In contrast, 'The Design Of Everyday Things' is primarily focused on modern design principles and cognitive psychology, lacking the historical narrative found in 'Meditations'. Thus, 'Meditations' offers more historical context.
'Meditations by Marcus Aurelius' offers practical advice on personal conduct and Stoic philosophy, which can be applied to everyday life. While 'The Design Of Everyday Things' provides valuable insights into usability and design, its focus is more on product interaction rather than personal conduct. Therefore, for practical advice applicable to daily life, 'Meditations' is the better choice.
'The Design Of Everyday Things' is a book that explores the principles of good product design. It argues that many common usability issues stem from poor design that ignores the needs of users and cognitive psychology principles. The book emphasizes making controls and functions visible, using natural relationships, and applying intelligent constraints to guide users effortlessly.
The author of 'The Design Of Everyday Things' is Don Norman, a renowned cognitive scientist and usability engineer known for his contributions to the field of design.
'The Design Of Everyday Things' discusses several key principles of good design, including making things visible, exploiting natural relationships between controls and their functions, and using constraints intelligently to guide users towards the right actions.
'The Design Of Everyday Things' is considered a powerful primer on design because it provides clear, actionable guidelines for creating user-friendly products. It explains why certain designs frustrate users and offers practical solutions to make products more intuitive and satisfying to use.
'Meditations' is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180. It consists of his private notes to himself and his ideas on Stoic philosophy. The book offers practical advice on personal conduct and provides historical insight into Roman times.
Pros of 'Meditations by Marcus Aurelius' include practical advice on personal conduct, historical insight into Roman times, and the unique perspective of being written by a Roman Emperor. There are currently no listed cons for the book.
'Meditations' was written by Marcus Aurelius, who was the Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180.
