Reference:
The Design of Everyday Things
Donald A. Norman
1988 Basic Books
Summary:
People constantly have to adapt to new experiences, and they can do so quickly when guided by physical, semantic, cultural, or logical constraints. These constraints, combined with real world experience, lead people to make the correct choices when facing a new experience. However, sometimes designers choose a model that defies conventional wisdom, and confusion reigns supreme. Devices should ideally be intuitive enough that labels and instructions are not needed. In situations where multiple switches are involved, there should be something that distinguishes one switch from another.
Discussion:
Norman makes several good points, but I have to wonder how effectively his ideas could be translated into software. It stands to reason that the more complex a program is, the less intuitive it will be for the user. On an unrelated note, I never really thought about how important sound is as a source of feedback.
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