54 pages • 1 hour read
Donald NormanThe Design of Everyday Things
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1988A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 2 Summary and Analysis: “The Psychology of Everyday Actions”
Chapter 2 delves into human psychology to understand how people behave and evaluate their actions. Drawing on his training in psychology, Norman addresses emotions and understanding before translating his findings into concrete design principles.
How People Do Things: The Gulfs of Execution and Evaluation
Norman describes two gulfs people face when using products: 1) the gulf of execution, where people work out how something operates; and 2) the gulf of evaluation, where they try to understand how well their expectations were met. Most people blame themselves when they experience difficulties using products. Norman argues that the problem lies not with users, but with designs. Good design bridges the gulfs of execution and evaluation by delving deeply into the psychology of human action.
The Seven Stages of Action
Norman explains the seven stages of human action in clear, non-technical terms, making psychology accessible to non-specialists. The stages are: 1) forming a goal; 2) planning action; 3) specifying the sequence of action; 4) performing the action sequence; 5) perceiving the state of the world; 6) interpreting the perceptions; and 7) comparing the outcome with the goal.
