O Professor Donald Norman irá dar uma palestra na FEUP no próximo dia 05.09 às 18h00 na sala B005. Donald Norman é uma figura incontornável do User-Centred Design e do Human Computer Interaction (HCI).
Ver abaixo o abstract da palestra e uma breve nota biográfica.
LIVING WITH COMPLEXITY: ABSTRACT
Don Norman
Our lives are too complicated, everyone agrees. Our technology is too complicated: everyone agrees. So why can’t pour technology be simple? Complicated is bad” it means something that is confusing. Complexity is good. Our lives and activities are complex, so our tools must match the activities.
People think they want simplicity, but they are wrong, as evidenced by the fact that when offered the choice between a very simple product and one with more features, they opt for the feature-laden one. We don't want simplicity: we want understanding. Complex things can be made understandable: that is the role of good design. One solution is modularity, which is why we have so many different kitchen utensils. Which is why owing a portable computer, a desktop computer, a smart phone, and a pad computer -- all of them -- makes sense for some people. Each is used for a different reason, in a different setting for different purposes.
Managing complexity is a partnership. Designers have to produce things that tame complexity. But we too have to do our part: we have to take the time to learn the structure and practice the skills. This is how we mastered reading and writing, driving a car, and playing sports, and this is how we can master our complex tools. Complexity is good. Simplicity is misleading. The good life is complex, rich, and rewarding—but only if it is understandable, sensible, and meaningful.
Biographical Information
Don Norman likes the fact that in addition to being named as "one of the world's most influential designers", Business Week has also labeled him a curmudgeon. "Question everything," he argues, "for questioning and debate provides deep understanding.” He is both a businessperson (VP at Apple, Executive at HP and a startup, and member of company boards) and an academic (Harvard, UC San Diego, Northwestern, KAIST). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group where he helps companies make products more enjoyable, understandable, and profitable. He is an IDEO fellow and a Trustee of IIT’s Institute of Design in Chicago. He is one of the founders of CHI and received their Lifetime Achievement award. His books include “Design of Everyday Things” and “Emotional Design.” His newest book is “Living with Complexity.” He lives at www.jnd.org
