Donald Arthur Norman
- Born:
- December 25, 1935, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Cognitive Psychologist, Design Theorist, Professor
Early Life and Education
- Received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957.
- Earned an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1959.
- Obtained a Ph.D. in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1962.
Career and Major Achievements
- Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
- Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University.
- Vice President of Advanced Technology at Apple Computer (later Apple).
- Co-founded the Nielsen Norman Group with Jakob Nielsen.
- Prominent figure in the fields of usability engineering, user-centered design, and cognitive ergonomics.
Notable Works
- Books:
- User Centered System Design (1986, co-edited with Stephen Draper)
- The Design of Everyday Things (1988, originally titled The Psychology of Everyday Things)
- Turn Signals Are the Facial Expressions of Automobiles (1992)
- Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things (2004)
- Living With Complexity (2010)
- Key Concepts:
- Gulf of Execution and Gulf of Evaluation
- Action Cycle
- Seven Stages of Action
- Affordances
- Signifiers
- Conceptual Model
Legacy and Impact
Donald Norman's work has profoundly shaped the field of design, emphasizing user-centered principles and highlighting the importance of understanding human cognition in creating usable and enjoyable products and systems. He championed the application of cognitive science to real-world problems, making significant contributions to human-computer interaction and product design methodologies. While a comprehensive "lesley chilcott biography of donald" might offer even greater depth, this outline provides a solid foundation.