May 2nd, 2021

Time to Read: This one took me a while. It is like reading an academic thesis. I found the writing style somewhat tedious with repetitive, nuanced examples that made each concept drag on too long.
Quality: Good information
General Review:  I teach art foundations, and most of my students are graphic design majors. To better support them, I reached out to a colleague, Professor Blake Johnson, who teaches Graphic Design, for reading recommendations. He suggested starting with this book. While it’s not specifically about graphic design, it focuses on a broader concept: the design of everyday things.
The book’s strengths lie in how it draws attention to the countless products and experiences around us that are intentionally designed. It also relieves some of the psychological burden on users by highlighting that what we often call “operator error” is frequently the result of poor design. Reading it was eye-opening and gave me a new perspective on how I interact with the world.

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