--- title: "8 Devices Quotes By Donald A. Norman" description: "8 Devices quotes by Donald A. Norman. Plus more from Donald A. Norman and more Devices sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/donald-a-norman-6862_conceptual_what-makes-something-simple-or-complex-i_294841.jpg" --- > [What makes something simple or complex? It's not the number of dials or controls or how many features it has: It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/what-makes-something-simple-or-complex-it-s-not-the-number-of-dials/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/donald-a-norman-6862_conceptual_what-makes-something-simple-or-complex-i_294841.jpg) > [Any time you see signs or labels added to a device, it is an indication of bad design: a simple lock should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-to-a-device-it-is-an/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/donald-a-norman-6862_design_any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-t_379949.jpg) > [Good design is also an act of communication between the designer and the user, except that all the communication has to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/good-design-is-also-an-act-of-communication-between-the-designer-and/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f13/donald-a-norman-6862_appearance_good-design-is-also-an-act-of-communicat_416910.jpg) > [Simplification is as much in the mind as it is in the device.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/simplification-is-as-much-in-the-mind-as-it-is-in-the-device/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/donald-a-norman-6862_device_simplification-is-as-much-in-the-mind-as_609660.jpg) > [In their work, designers often become expert with the device they are designing. Users are often expert at the task they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/in-their-work-designers-often-become-expert-with-the-device-they-are/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c70/donald-a-norman-6862_design_in-their-work-designers-often-become-exp_1082795.jpg) > [Go to the bookstore and look at how many bookshelves are filled with books trying to explain how to work the devices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/go-to-the-bookstore-and-look-at-how-many-bookshelves-are-filled-with/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/donald-a-norman-6862_application_go-to-the-bookstore-and-look-at-how-many_2661269.jpg) > [The designer has an obligation to provide an appropriate conceptual model for the way that the device works. It doesn't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/the-designer-has-an-obligation-to-provide-an-appropriate-conceptual/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/donald-a-norman-6862_accurate_the-designer-has-an-obligation-to-provid_2671820.jpg) > [When a device as simple as a door has to come with an instruction manual—even a one-word manual—then it is a failure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/when-a-device-as-simple-as-a-door-has-to-come-with-an-instruction/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/donald-a-norman-6862_devices_when-a-device-as-simple-as-a-door-has-to_2991480.jpg) ## Other authors on Devices ## More by Donald A. Norman > [“key to winning the race is not to compete against machines but to compete with machines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/key-to-winning-the-race-is-not-to-compete-against-machines-but-to/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [ Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. \[...\] The advent of hypertext is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of-organization-allowing-ideas/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [We delude ourselves if we believe that skilled behavior is easy, that it can come about without effort. We forget the years of tuning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/we-delude-ourselves-if-we-believe-that-skilled-behavior-is-easy-that/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“Could we ever switch to this or any of the many other rational systems? Unlikely: tradition is difficult to overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/could-we-ever-switch-to-this-or-any-of-the-many-other-rational/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [People Propose, Science Studies, Technology Conforms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/people-propose-science-studies-technology-conforms/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“If designers and researchers do not sometimes fail, it is a sign that they are not trying hard enough—they are not thinking the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/if-designers-and-researchers-do-not-sometimes-fail-it-is-a-sign-that/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [What makes something simple or complex? It's not the number of dials or controls or how many features it has: It is whether the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/what-makes-something-simple-or-complex-it-s-not-the-number-of-dials/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Only the most sophisticated of beings can lie and cheat, and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/only-the-most-sophisticated-of-beings-can-lie-and-cheat-and-get-away/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Any time you see signs or labels added to a device, it is an indication of bad design: a simple lock should not require…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-to-a-device-it-is-an/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Good design is also an act of communication between the designer and the user, except that all the communication has to come about by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/good-design-is-also-an-act-of-communication-between-the-designer-and/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“We need to remove the word failure from our vocabulary, replacing it instead with learning experience. To fail is to learn: we learn more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/we-need-to-remove-the-word-failure-from-our-vocabulary-replacing-it/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [When I use a direct manipulation system whether for text editing, drawing pictures, or creating and playing games I do think of myself not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/when-i-use-a-direct-manipulation-system-whether-for-text-editing/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“Radical innovation is what many people seek, for it is the big, spectacular form of change. But most radical ideas fail, and even those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/radical-innovation-is-what-many-people-seek-for-it-is-the-big/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Technology usually provides a series of tradeoffs. Each asset is offset by a deficit...A major problem occurs when those who suffer from technology's defecits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/technology-usually-provides-a-series-of-tradeoffs-each-asset-is/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Simplification is as much in the mind as it is in the device.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/simplification-is-as-much-in-the-mind-as-it-is-in-the-device/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devices/donald-a-norman/#itemlist", "name": "8 Devices Quotes By Donald A. Norman", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What makes something simple or complex? 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