Chapter 1: Introduction to Design

📘 Chapter 1: Introduction to Design

Foundations from The Design of Everyday Things

In this chapter, we dive into the fundamentals of design thinking through the lens of Don Norman’s seminal work, The Design of Everyday Things.

By exploring Chapters 1 & 2, we’ll uncover why some products are intuitive and delightful to use — while others lead to frustration and error. These chapters reveal the psychology behind user-centered design and the invisible principles that make everyday objects feel right.

🧠 Key concepts we’ll cover:

• Affordances and Signifiers: What actions users think are possible

• Feedback and Visibility: How the system talks back to the user

• Constraints: How good design gently guides behavior

• Mental Models: How users expect things to work

• Gulf of Execution & Evaluation: Understanding user actions and system responses

We’ll reflect on real-world objects, digital interfaces, and even biological systems through this framework — preparing you to design with empathy, clarity, and creativity.

“Design is really an act of communication, which means having a deep understanding of the person with whom the designer is communicating.” – Don Norman