Design of Everyday Things [128]
My work has been heavily influenced by Simon, especially by his ideas developed in The sciences of the artificial (1981), which, among other things, pointed out that much of the complexity of our behavior reflects the complexity of the world, not of our thought processes. In part I am complementing that argument, arguing that through design the world can be made simpler. A second, related idea was Simon’s introduction of the concept of “satisficing,” for which he argued that we do not necessarily examine all the alternatives available to us and choose the optimum, but rather we tend to minimize mental effort and take the first one that seems satisfactory.
Computers, of course, play an ever increasing role in modern design, both as tools for the design process and as the object of design. Smith, Irby, Kimball, Verplank, & Harslem (1982) present an excellent description of the design of a computer system (the Xerox Star) that heavily emphasized usability and understandability: this is recommended reading for people interested in computer systems. (The Star was not a commercial success, but later versions have been more successful; the design principles and philosophies were taken over by the Apple Computer Corporation and have accounted for the success of the Macintosh.) Ted Nelson (1981) presents an engaging description of the possible future of machines in his Literary machines (and other volumes). Illuminating discussions of the importance of the social context in which tools are used are provided in two new, important studies: Winograd and Flores (1986), Understanding computers and cognition: A new foundation for design; and Suchman’s (1987) Plans and situated actions: The problem of human-machine communication.
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