HN Books @HNBooksMonth

Donald Norman does a good job explaining why in The Design of Everyday Things. I am sure most of you have probably read it, but if you haven't... https://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/...

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "The Design of Everyday Things"[1], talking about human interaction design. It makes the same points, a few decades earlier so there're no references to mobile apps, but the distilled take away are the same ones:

* Be obvious

* Avoid extraneous "ornaments" in the interaction

* Understand what your user needs

Of course those three bullet points do not make the book (either of them, I assume) justice, but you might want to read Donald A. Norman's book first. Another book you might be interested in is Don't Make me Think[2], which is specifically related to software UI design.

I agree with the point that using smartphones for everything is a step back. Having touchscreens in cars is also a step back. We went from having controls that could manipulated without taking the eyes on the road to fancy futuristic UIs that require either for you to be parked, to have a companion or do something potentially dangerous.</rant>

[1]: http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

[2]: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/032134...

⬐ semi-extrinsic

I'm all for bashing touchscreens in cars (and in general), but I've never seen a new car that doesn't have the "multifunction steering wheel" where you can control almost everything (usually not the ventilation though) without taking your hands off the wheel. They require a few hours of getting used to each layout, but past that, they're great interfaces.

Paging Dr. Norman:

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

I wish the title of this article was more inline with its thesis, which is found further down:

> modern web design has much more in common with product and industrial design than it has with print or graphic design.

His examples of industrial design flaws that look snazzy are bang on, and replicate problems often found in web designs. You gotta USE a thing to know if it's designed well. The Design of Every Day Things[1] should really be required reading for designers charged with designing for the web.

One of the best ways of knowing whether your design is effective is to watch people use it. The assumptions you made about how your audience will use your design will likely be blown away, and watching them try to accomplish the site's goal will lead you towards designs that help them do that more effectively.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman [http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...]

Designed for Use: Create Usable Interfaces for Applications and the Web by Lukas Mathis [http://www.amazon.com/Designed-Use-Create-Interfaces-Applica...]

Don’t Make Me Thing by Steve Krug would have been my third.

I don’t believe any of these emphasize minimalism, and I’m not sure what help you’re looking for in that regard?

I think you miss the point.

Being modularised allows the basic user experience to be kept very simple. It does not need to grow into something like an IDE. Hell, according to Packages [0] even tools like find-and-replace have been modularised so I do not think it follows that Github would carelessly decide to create a big ball of mud!

And additionally this tool has removed barriers that previously existed before.

Since it was created by Github they will be able to expose APIs to create features which are currently not possible.

Likewise the UI being implemented with WebKit means that the user interface can tightly represent what a user is used to seeing at different stages of their development process.

You might have read "The Design of Everyday Things" [1] before. There are certain elements which you need to control to create a good user experience: (1) discoverability, (2) feedback, (3) the conceptual model, (4) affordances, (5) signifiers, and (6) mappings. Without ease in changing the UI, and the possibility that Github will have self-interest in exposing extra APIs, it would be a lot more difficult to control for each of these.

It's just an opportunity to try new ideas. I'm not suggesting that this would be preferable to everybody.

[0] http://atom.io/packages

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

⬐ basicallydan

> Since it was created by Github they will be able to expose APIs to create features which are currently not possible.

You're probably right, but even if this is not the case, they will at least hopefully have a better understanding of how to use the APIs well, given how often they work on and with their own APIs.

⬐ HelloNurse

"Being modularised allows the basic user experience to be kept very simple."

The basic user experience does not exist; or rather it is trivially basic in any text editor. What's important is the advanced user experience, and it simply doesn't exist yet. For instance, Python support amounts to syntax highlighting; nothing compared to python-mode and elpy in Emacs, or PyDev in Eclipse.

There's also a large gap between the promise of "Full-featured, right out of the box" and offering fundamental functionality like settings-view and command-palette as extension packages.

What Atom has to offer, currently, is a bloated abuse of web technology with little appeal beyond Javascript hipsters.

This project has years of hard work ahead to begin competing with Emacs and Vim in some niches; hard work that isn't going to happen because it's proprietary software, and contributors will prefer the open source text editors.

The best non-Code development that I ever read was the Design of Everyday Things.

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

It was not written with software in mind, but the core respect for the user translates enormously well. If you can't tell whether you should push or pull a door to open it, it's the fault of the door designer, not the door opener. This translates very deeply into interface (user or technical) design.

A good read would be "The design of everyday things" by Don A. Norman. It explains how brain works, and how to design by using map techniques and user tests.

A resume, when design:

1. Use both knowledge in the world and in the head. 2. Simplify the structure of tasks. 3. Make things visible. 4. Get the mappings right. 5. Exploit the powers of constraints-Natural & Artificial. 6. Design for Error. 7. When all else fails, standardize.

There's a lot of books in the matter of UI but they can fall either in the philosophy side or either the personal taste of the writer.

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

⬐ fleclerc

And Don Norman has a new (and free!) MOOC on Udacity on that very same topic: https://www.udacity.com/course/design101

I have the same problem with UI. I am more of a technical person but would like to get better at design and layout. When I visit some of HN members' web sites I am always amazed at the way they look: clean and polished. I just wish I could do that kind of stuff! I will take the Udacity MOOC for a start. Thanks to other members for their suggestions on this thread.

⬐ meerita

UI is pretty technical design. If you want to learn more about the aspect of it, the best thing you can do is learn design basics, typography, for example would make a big impact on your design work.

With all due respect for Tufte, his focus has always been on the presentation and visualization of the data. While this has an overlap with the design skills required for the end-to-end software design, the overlap is only partial and not even that big in many cases.

Also, the Dont Make Me Think book should've really been a two-pager pamphlet, it is really thin on a material. While the center idea is fundamental, it is very easy to explain and to understand.

If we are talking about 10000 ft perspective of the design and its fundamentals, I would raise you The Design of Everyday Things. This is a very good beginners book and it's also an interesting read for those who already know a thing or two.

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

The Design of Everyday Things: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0465067107

I'm in the same boat. I'm not very good but I'm starting to get better at design. Here are some tips, which might be useful. None of these are affiliate links and I'm not associated with any of them, if that matters.

- It's cliche, but read "The Design of Everyday Things" by Donald Norman [1]. It gives you a good sense of design's place in the greater world. The best design principles are as at home in a product development firm as they are in the software world.

- I own "Design for Hackers" by David Kadavy and I think it's pretty good. The content may or may not be "obvious" depending on your skill level, but he phrases things in a way that is understandable and reassuring to the engineering set. [2]

- There's a guy on HN (Jarrod Drysdale) who produced an eBook called "Bootstrapping Design". I haven't pulled the trigger on a purchase yet, but I need to. I've read his sample chapter and am subscribed to his newsletter and I think he's an excellent coach. [3]

- I keep a bookmark folder called "design inspiration" and when I find really cool sites or apps I save them here. You might also want to keep a clipping diary or something where you can keep notes for yourself about what you like and don't like about certain things.

- There's nothing wrong with imitation, within reason. EVERYONE stands on the shoulders of giants and the guy who designed that awesome site or app probably started by shamelessly copying existing stuff. In fact, I recommend that you spend some time trying to EXACTLY copy things you like. You'll start to get a feel for how to accomplish certain affects and, in general, you'll get design a little more "in the fingers".

- http://ux.stackexchange.com/

- Have a project. Have a project. HAVE A PROJECT. It's very difficult to just "learn design", just as it's very difficult to just "learn programming". Unless you're just a natural autodidact, you can read all the tutorials and books and whatever but, when it comes time to do something on your own, you'll just be sitting there staring at a blinking cursor (or an empty Photoshop document) unless you have some place to start.

I hope this all helps, and don't be afraid to share stuff on HN with us. There are plenty of folks who would love to give you positive criticism and feedback.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

[2] http://www.amazon.com/Design-Hackers-Reverse-Engineering-Bea...

[3] http://bootstrappingdesign.com/

⬐ kadavy

Hey, thanks for mentioning "Design for Hackers" (I wrote it).

I'm a bit late to the thread, but if anyone wants to get a sampling of the approach that I take to explaining design check out some sample articles I linked to on http://designforhackers.com

I talk about design more abstractly than most, but I try to keep it entertaining. More than anything I want you to see differently.

I also occasionally send out emails. If you sign up on that site I already have some queued up for new subscribers.

Sacha Greif also sends out some good emails: http://sachagreif.com and of course there's http://hackdesign.org (I'll even be doing a lesson on there eventually)

⬐ ianstormtaylor

Really good advice. Having a project is by far the most important part.

Also if you don't have a feed reader already, get one. It's really useful to subscribe to a few feeds about any area you want to familiarize yourself with. And then every day you get a litte kick to keep your mind focused on that topic.

⬐ tvirot

Great advice! Exactly how I get better at design. It's actually really hard to exactly copy good design works. It made me start paying more attention to small little things, like space, font size, proportion, etc.

⬐ nicholjs

Amazing tips. Thanks a lot. And I can totally sympathize with having a project to learn. That's how I learned to code, and that's how I teach students. Good to hear that design can be done in the same philosophy.

⬐ tjbiddle

Great list of resources! My blog post today was actually addressing how my design skills are lacking so this couldn't be more relevant to me, thanks for the share!

⬐ QuantumGuy

http://hackdesign.org/ is what I am using

⬐ alfredbaudisch

Hack design is really awesome. It goes down from what is design, understanding design on everything we do, to typography and next on.

⬐ kingdm

Exactly what an advise is.

⬐ studiofellow

I'm Jarrod, the guy behind Bootstrapping Design. Sorry I'm late to this thread, and thank you for sharing the book!

There are a couple of other design ebooks worth a look:

Sacha Greif's Step By Step UI Design: http://sachagreif.com/ebook/

Nathan Barry's ebooks: http://nathanbarry.com/app-design-handbook/ http://nathanbarry.com/webapps/

If I can answer any questions, leave a comment here or send me an email: hello <at> bootstrappingdesign {dot} /com/

I don't know about courses but I read The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman more than 10 years ago and it profoundly changed my life.

Obviously it doesn't only deal with UI design but I really recommend it if you're looking for a place to jump off from.

Be warned, once you read it you'll find yourself becoming extraordinarily annoyed by certain types of doors.

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

⬐ needleme

Thanks, that looks very interesting. I've studied architecture so I'm already annoied by doors and other stuff! Will definately look at this book, maybe in italian if I can find it

No one says you can't study it even now (except perhaps your calendar)... One classic starting point is "The Design of Everyday Things"[1].

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

If you develop or market products which are intended for use by humans, you should read this.

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

It is not sufficient to make you an experienced designer, but it is a serious start towards thinking more critically about what makes a given design good or bad.

My favorite UX books:

The Design of Everyday Things (http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...)

The Humane Interface (http://www.amazon.com/Humane-Interface-Directions-Designing-...)

Contextual Design (http://www.amazon.com/Contextual-Design-Customer-Centered-In...)

⬐ danilocampos

I'm 11 pages into the Design of Everyday things and loving it so far. Thank you for the recommendation.

⬐ ary

I need to second your recommendation of The Humane Interface. I reread it often.

⬐ xyzzyb

That last one is more about systems analysis than user experience.

⬐ d_mcgraw

I'm reading The Design of Everyday Things right now. It is an amazingly good book. The examples are awesome. It really is changing the way I look at everything.

⬐ imwilsonxu

The Design of Everyday Things is cool, indeed. Norman's a great author who keeps questioning what we take for granted.

However, if you are looking for something more pragmatic, Steve's Don't Make me Think and JJG's The Elements of User Experience should be the top of your reading list, especially on web design.

This was an excellent article.

I've dabbled in this field in my job, but I don't have any real training, so I've had to teach myself.

The classic text in this field is _The Design of Everyday Things_, by Donald Norman.[1] Also very useful is _Interaction Design_.[2] The first is a very quick read (it's only about 200 pages, and not very technical), while the second is a textbook intended for use in university courses on HCI.

I've found both very valuable in trying to figure out how users approach things without any formal cognitive science or HCI training.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d... [2] http://www.amazon.com/Interaction-Design-Beyond-Human-Comput...

I agree. I think there's a legacy of UI design over the past decades that many software houses still cling to. File/folder, menu bars and so on. I'm not really an iPhone/iPad fan, but I think they have and will continue to contribute a lot towards getting people to rethink UI design.

Also, the article you're thinking of is probably either this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

Or an article about it. (The push/pull door things is a classic example out of that book.)

⬐ tjmaxal

Thanks for tracking down a link. I'm terrible at remembering references.

Dreaming in Code: Two Dozen Programmers, Three Years, 4,732 Bugs, and One Quest for Transcendent Software http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Code-Programmers-Transcendent...

The Design of Everyday Things http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

⬐ jksmith

"Dreaming in Code" was ultimately so depressing I couldn't finish it.

"The Design of Everyday Things" would probably be a good start: http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...

More suggested reading: "The Design of Everyday Things" by Donald Norman. http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d... -- I've lost count of how many times I've read this book. As the article goes, it talks about what it really means to be intuitive, and how common objects fail miserably at achieving that goal.

Since Don't Make Me Think already came up, going to add About Face (have 2.0 but heard 3.0 is even better) http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Essentials-Interaction-Desi...

and Design of Everyday Things http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...