--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The designer shouldn't think of a simple…" description: "\"The designer shouldn't think of a simple dichotomy between errors and correct behavior; rather, the entire interaction should be treated as a cooperati..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/donald-a-norman-6862_arise_the-designer-shouldn-t-think-of-a-simple_791941.jpg" --- # The designer shouldn't think of a simple dichotomy between… ![“The designer shouldn't think of a simple dichotomy between errors and correct behavior; rather, the entire interaction should be treated as a cooperative endeavor between person and machine, one in which misconceptions can arise on either side.” quote by Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/donald-a-norman-6862_arise_the-designer-shouldn-t-think-of-a-simple_791941.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/donald-a-norman-6862_arise_the-designer-shouldn-t-think-of-a-simple_791941.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/donald-a-norman-6862_arise_the-designer-shouldn-t-think-of-a-simple_791941.jpg) > “The designer shouldn't think of a simple dichotomy between errors and correct behavior; rather, the entire interaction should be treated as a cooperative endeavor between person and machine, one in which misconceptions can arise on either side.” [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design should be seen as a partnership where both user and system can err, requiring mutual understanding and collaboration. **In simple terms:** Design is a joint effort between people and machines. Key Takeaway Treat interactions as cooperative problem solving. Themes design human‑computer interaction collaboration Mood thoughtful analytical Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - software development - product testing - training - support - feedback loops Key Concepts co‑design error tolerance user empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can we design interfaces that reveal system errors? - What habits foster shared responsibility? A Different Perspective Assuming users always know the correct way can overlook system flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Dichotomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dichotomy/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interaction/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Misconception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misconception/) [Misconceptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misconceptions/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The films I find boring are the ones that have no space for the audience's misconceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-decker/the-films-i-find-boring-are-the-ones-that-have-no-space-for-the/) [Josephine Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-decker/) > [Most people believe they know how they themselves think, how others think too, and even how institutions evolve. But they are wrong. Their understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/most-people-believe-they-know-how-they-themselves-think-how-others/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [They thought that athletes that worked out with my system wouldn't be able to throw a ball because they'd be too muscle bound. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/they-thought-that-athletes-that-worked-out-with-my-system-wouldn-t-be/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [My reality is the misconceptions about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-spelling/my-reality-is-the-misconceptions-about-me/) [Tori Spelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-spelling/) > [A lot of people have many misconceptions about religion. I know what I'm talking about for myself. My mind is very ordered, so to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dion-dimucci/a-lot-of-people-have-many-misconceptions-about-religion-i-know-what-i/) [Dion DiMucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dion-dimucci/) > [A lot of people have misconceptions about what the surgeon general does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/a-lot-of-people-have-misconceptions-about-what-the-surgeon-general/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [I've dealt with a lot of bullshit because of the way I look and a lot of misconceptions about what people should be afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gonjasufi/i-ve-dealt-with-a-lot-of-bullshit-because-of-the-way-i-look-and-a-lot/) [Gonjasufi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gonjasufi/) > [Yeah, yeah I think that's one of the biggest misconceptions towards the band. The biggest one is that we're Satan worshippers, but next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-araya/yeah-yeah-i-think-that-s-one-of-the-biggest-misconceptions-towards/) [Tom Araya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-araya/) > [Another common misconception: You need to learn from your mistakes. What do you really learn from mistakes? You might learn what not to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rework/another-common-misconception-you-need-to-learn-from-your-mistakes/) ReWork > [Disregarding the value of religion and believing in egalitarianism are two misconceptions that cause America much trouble today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-reese/disregarding-the-value-of-religion-and-believing-in-egalitarianism/) [Charley Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-reese/) > [In the past, I've been reluctant to share any bits of truth about myself or to really let people in on my reality. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/in-the-past-i-ve-been-reluctant-to-share-any-bits-of-truth-about/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [People have misconceptions about Marilyn Manson, of course, but they can think what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-rachel-wood/people-have-misconceptions-about-marilyn-manson-of-course-but-they/) [Evan Rachel Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-rachel-wood/) > [I believe that misconceptions about oneself that one does not correct where possible act as a bad magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-riding/i-believe-that-misconceptions-about-oneself-that-one-does-not-correct/) [Laura Riding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-riding/) > [One of the big misconceptions about me is that I walk around in mini-skirts and high heels twenty-four seven and go to the gym…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-electra/one-of-the-big-misconceptions-about-me-is-that-i-walk-around-in-mini/) [Carmen Electra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-electra/) > [There are so many misconceptions about me, and it gets frustrating no matter how thick skinned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-ecclestone/there-are-so-many-misconceptions-about-me-and-it-gets-frustrating-no/) [Tamara Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-ecclestone/) ## 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/) [Explore all 97 Donald A. Norman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) ## More Arise quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [The financial crisis we are facing today arises from the fact that there is almost no more social, cultural, natural, and spiritual capital left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/the-financial-crisis-we-are-facing-today-arises-from-the-fact-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [Let art, then, imitate nature, find what she desires, and follow as she directs. 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These chaotic fluctuations are, I suppose, what my music is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ferneyhough/in-my-model-important-interference-phenomena-arise-when-individual/) [Brian Ferneyhough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ferneyhough/) > [Whenever you step out of the noise of thinking, that is meditation, and a different state of consciousness arises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/whenever-you-step-out-of-the-noise-of-thinking-that-is-meditation-and/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [An idea or institution may arise for one reason and be maintained for quite a different reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccabe/an-idea-or-institution-may-arise-for-one-reason-and-be-maintained-for/) [Joseph McCabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccabe/) > [The oppressed without hope are mysteriously quiet. 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