DOET Chapter 2

DOET Chapter 2

While reading this chapter there was one quote by Norman that really stuck out to me and summed up the chapter very well: “If an error is possible, someone will make it (Norman, 36).” Discussing how designers have to plan for errors and how people mentally react to problems with a device, Norman uses example to illustrate scenarios that have previously caused or showcased problems.

One of the most common occurrences when there is an error with a “simple” device is self-blame. Even if there is poor design, if the object is easy to use people feel that it is somehow their fault that the item was having problems. On the flipside, there are times in which a device is blamed for poor design and/or functionality when it is actually the fault of the user.

Mental models are theories that people use to explain something that they saw. While these may not always be correct or logical, they are still important in seeing how someone will respond to a new device that they are unfamiliar with. Continuing with this idea, naïve physics, is similar to the process in which people use naïve (often wrong) models to describe how something works.

Learned helplessness is a serious issue that is causing a resistance to the acceptance of new technologies. Essentially, some users who have a high fail rate with a particular device feels that they are not able to perform the said task and refuse to continue using it. Taught helplessness, however, if the idea that people who suffer from learned helplessness will apply this notion to all technologies.

In order to perform a task, Norman says that there are two major steps: execution and evaluation. However to execute an action, one must first have intent and a goal. Once the action is executed it is then evaluated by the user to ensure that the proper result was procured, or to see if there were any errors in the process.

Norman continues to say that there are seven subsections of actions: forming the goal, forming the intention, specifying an action, executing the action, perceiving the state of the world, interpreting the state of the world, and evaluating the outcome. These seven component allow us to create an approximate model of the action.

Gulfs, as described by Norman, are distinctions between mental states and physical states. This is also applied to distinguish between mental intentions and interpretations. While we may have an idea of what we want the device to do, we are not always accurate at judging the outcomes.

What I got out of this chapter was a sense for how important error finding is, as it can effect the reception of a device as well as effect the reception of an entire line of products. As we often place blame on ourselves, it is difficult for designers to find all of the flaws because people assume it was a human error, even if the design was poor.