what bad doors taught us about design

you ever walk up to a door, push it when you’re supposed to pull, and feel like an idiot? same. don’t worry, it’s not our fault, it’s the design.

this vox piece on don norman, the guy who literally wrote the book on bad design, shows how his work is why we even talk about “user-centered design” today. norman noticed that things as simple as doors can be confusing when they’re designed without real people in mind. like, if you need a sign that says “push” or “pull,” the design has already failed.

Why even simple things like doors can be frustrating, and what that reveals about design.

and it’s not just doors. it’s everything: ovens, microwaves, medical devices, apps, websites. so many things are more complicated than they ought to be. anything that’s built for people should be built around people. norman calls it “human-centered design.” that means starting with what people need, not what tech can do.

norman connects good design with ethics. it’s not just about smooth buttons and minimalism. it’s about dignity. if a system confuses, frustrates, or excludes people, it’s broken. it doesn’t matter how “smart” it is.

this vox story about norman’s brilliant book the design of everyday things really hits home. i’m studying computer science, but also trying to build things that actually help people. norman’s approach reminds me to pause and ask: who’s this for? what are they trying to do? are we making it easier or harder?

so yeah. next time a door fights back, blame the designer—not yourself. and if you’re designing something, make it for humans, not engineers. don norman didn’t just critique the world. he gave us a blueprint to fix it. and honestly? that’s the kind of work i want to do.