10 Design Secrets That Make Everyday Things Work Effortlessly

Francis Juma Katambi
4 min readNov 28, 2024

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Have you ever struggled with a door, pressed the wrong button on a remote, or wondered why some products feel so easy to use while others frustrate you? The answer lies in design. Don Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things reveals the principles behind intuitive, user-centered design that makes products truly functional and delightful.

Below, we break down ten essential design principles from the book, supported by examples and images that show how small changes can create big improvements.

1. Design for Understandability

“The design of everyday things should make the product easy to understand and use.”

Explanation

Products should communicate their purpose and how they work without requiring users to read a manual. Good design aligns with users’ mental models, helping them quickly grasp how to interact with a product.

Example

  • Good Design: A car’s steering wheel intuitively signals its function — turn it to steer.
  • Bad Design: A door with no clear indication of whether to push or pull, often called a “Norman door,” forces users to guess how to operate it.

2. Invisible Design

“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible.”

Explanation

When design works seamlessly, users don’t notice it. Instead, they focus on accomplishing their tasks. Poor design, however, draws attention to itself through frustration or confusion.

Example

  • Good Design: A car’s steering wheel and dashboard that are intuitive to use.
  • Bad Design: A car with controls placed awkwardly, making driving unnecessarily challenging.

3. Avoid Blaming the User

“When people are confused, they tend to blame themselves.”

Explanation

Designers often assume users will understand a product the way they intended, but when something is unclear, users feel at fault. This emotional toll can erode trust and satisfaction.

Example

  • Bad Design: A washing machine with cryptic icons and no explanation leaves users unsure about settings, making them feel inadequate.
  • Good Design: Washing machines with labeled buttons (e.g., “Quick Wash” or “Delicate”) help users make confident choices.

4. Prioritize Discoverability

“It should be possible to determine what actions are possible and the current state of the device.”

Explanation

Users should be able to identify a product’s features and functions without guesswork. This includes making the product’s current state — such as “on” or “off” — clearly visible.

Example

  • Good Design: A remote control with clearly labeled buttons and visible indicators.
  • Bad Design: A digital thermostat that hides key settings behind unintuitive menus.

5. Harness Affordances

“Affordances provide strong clues to the operations of things. When affordances are taken advantage of, the user knows what to do just by looking.”

Explanation

An object’s design should signal how it can be used. For example, a button should look pressable, and a handle should suggest pulling.

Example

  • Good Design: A chair’s seat invites sitting, and its backrest implies leaning.
  • Bad Design: A decorative door handle that doesn’t function as a handle confuses users.

6. Offer Feedback

“Feedback is critical. Without it, one is always wondering whether anything has happened.”

Explanation

Feedback ensures that users know their actions have been registered and what the outcome is. This reduces uncertainty and enhances trust in the product.

Example

  • Good Design: A smartphone vibrates or displays a checkmark when a message is sent.
  • Bad Design: An elevator button with no light or sound confirmation leaves users wondering if it’s working.

7. Start with Human-Centered Design

“Human-centered design means starting with a good understanding of people and the tasks they need to accomplish.”

Explanation

Great design begins with empathy. Designers must consider how real users think and behave, rather than designing based on assumptions.

Example

  • Good Design: ATMs designed with clear instructions and a limited number of steps.
  • Bad Design: ATMs that bury simple actions like withdrawals behind several unnecessary menus.

8. Simplify Error Handling

“Errors should be easy to detect and, once detected, easy to correct.”

Explanation

Products should minimize errors through thoughtful design and provide users with tools to recover from mistakes.

Example

  • Good Design: An “Undo” button in software allows users to backtrack easily.
  • Bad Design: A form that clears all entered data when a single error occurs.

9. Focus on Constraints

“Design must convey possible uses and prevent improper use.”

Explanation

Constraints guide users toward correct actions and prevent errors by eliminating irrelevant or harmful options.

Example

  • Good Design: A USB drive that only fits one way ensures users don’t insert it incorrectly.
  • Bad Design: A file upload tool that accepts incompatible file types without warning.

10. Strive for Elegance Through Simplicity

“Complexity is good when it reflects the true nature of the task, but it must be managed and made to feel simple.”

Explanation

Designers should reduce complexity to its essentials. Simplicity doesn’t mean lack of functionality; it means organizing functionality in a way that feels intuitive.

Example

  • Good Design: Apple’s iPod click wheel enabled easy navigation through hundreds of songs with a single control.
  • Bad Design: A remote control overloaded with buttons, most of which go unused by the average user.

Conclusion

The principles outlined in The Design of Everyday Things remind us that good design isn’t about aesthetics alone — it’s about functionality, usability, and empathy. By focusing on discoverability, feedback, affordances, and human-centered approaches, designers can create products that feel effortless to use.

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Francis Juma Katambi
Francis Juma Katambi

Written by Francis Juma Katambi

I help brands and entrepreneurs that Care about their users as a UX/UI Designer and Website designer Portfolio: sukumapixel.com

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