The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle vs. The Design Of Everyday Things
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
In a Tokyo suburb, a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife’s missing cat—and then for his wife as well—in a netherworld beneath the city’s placid surface. As these searches intersect, he encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists. Gripping, prophetic, and suffused with comedy and menace, this is one of Haruki Murakami’s most acclaimed and beloved novels.
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...
Reviews
Reviews
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| Murakami at his best | 1 | |
| Long, captivating read | 1 |
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| They cut out some chapters in the English translation | 1 |
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| No pros yet, would you like to add one? | ||
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Frequently Asked Questions
'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' is a fictional novel that offers a deep, immersive narrative filled with surreal elements and complex characters, making it a captivating read for those who enjoy literary fiction. In contrast, 'The Design of Everyday Things' is a non-fiction book focused on design principles and usability, appealing to readers interested in psychology and product design. The choice between the two depends on whether you prefer a narrative-driven experience or practical insights into design.
'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' is known for its engaging storytelling and rich character development, often leaving readers captivated by its intricate plot and themes. On the other hand, 'The Design of Everyday Things' offers an engaging experience through its exploration of design and usability, but it may not provide the same level of narrative engagement as a novel. Readers looking for a compelling story may find 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' more engaging, while those interested in practical applications of design principles may prefer 'The Design of Everyday Things'.
'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' has a noted drawback in that some chapters were cut from the English translation, which may affect the reading experience for some. In contrast, 'The Design of Everyday Things' does not have any significant cons listed, making it a straightforward read for those interested in design. Therefore, if completeness and fidelity to the original text are important to you, this could be a factor in favor of 'The Design of Everyday Things'.
'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' by Haruki Murakami is about a young man named Toru Okada who searches for his wife’s missing cat—and then for his wife as well—in a netherworld beneath the city’s placid surface. As these searches intersect, he encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists. The novel is gripping, prophetic, and suffused with comedy and menace.
Pros of 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' include that it showcases Murakami at his best and is a long, captivating read. However, a con is that some chapters were cut out in the English translation.
'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.
