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Dr. Donald Norman is the self-proclaimed
protagonist of unnecessary complexity in today's technological products.
It annoys him so much that his influence is felt today in many interfaces
and usability methodology. Dr. Norman holds a degree in psychology
from both MIT and the University of Pennsylvania. He became a college
professor soon afterwards and became the chair of the cognitive science
department at the University of California, San Diego. As he developed
a further interest in computing and user interfaces, Dr. Norman was employed
by Apple Computer in the early 1990s. Dr. Norman helped design the
Power Macintosh and published four books around the same time. His
latest book, The Invisible Computer, is a requirement for design
engineers and the second-most read book in its field. Dr. Norman is
also a principal of the Nielsen Norman Group, where he continues his
research today. When asked about his greatest accomplishment, Dr.
Norman will reflect on the "power button" placement for the Macintosh
keyboard. It is a prime example of the small changes necessary for
vast improvement in the product or user interface. |
