Devices Quote by Donald A. Norman
“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, poorly designed.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Design of Everyday Things, 1988
A poorly designed product forces unnecessary instructions, indicating design failure.
In simple terms: Bad design needs manuals.
Key Takeaway
Design for intuitive use.
Themes
design
usability
simplicity
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- consumer electronics
- home appliances
- software interfaces
- product development
Key Concepts
human‑centered design
affordances
Questions to Reflect On
- When is a manual justified?
- How can you test intuitiveness?
A Different Perspective
Complex tasks may still need guidance.
![“Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. [...] The advent of hypertext is apt to make writing much more difficult, not easier. Good writing, that is.” quote by Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/662/donald-a-norman-6862_advent_hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of_51804.jpg)
![“The sense of tragedy - according to Aristotle - comes, ironically enough, not from the protagonist's weak points but from his good qualities. Do you know what I'm getting at? People are drawn deeper into tragedy not by their defects but by their virtues. ... [But] we accept irony through a device…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa9/haruki-murakami-21_accepting_the-sense-of-tragedy-according-to-aristo_23796.jpg)
