Searching for a case of bad design as defined by Don Norman in his book The Design of Everyday Things proved to be far more difficult than finding a case of good design. This is likely due to Norman’s observation that users tend to falsely blame themselves rather than the design when something can’t be […]

I believe that the user interface for Gmail is an example of good design. Using concepts discussed in Don Norman’s book, The Design of Everyday Things, and images of my own Gmail account, I will prove my statement. The first screen that you see offers many clues as to the proper operation of your account.

SelfControl, the most intimidating icon in my laptop’s dock, is the key to my academic success, and, I will argue, an example of good design. It is a free, open source software that allows users to block their own access to websites for a set period of time. Procrastinating, compulsive checkers of social media can