Readings

In Chapter Six, Norman has a section called "Putting Aesthetics First". I could really relate to this section because this is the main issue I have with many objects nowadays.

I have always preferred functionality over style. What good is the object, regardless of how stylish or pretty it is, if it practically unusable. And people STILL purchase these items. Why? Because it looks good. Or it's expensive. Nevermind the fact that they have no clue on how the thing operates. Unfortunately, even though the object has poor functionality, nothing is really said about these issues to the designers, because they continue to make high-end, aesthetically pleasing products that cannot be used to it's fullest capacity due to the poor design of the interface.
However, this is not always the designer's fault. In the section, "The Designer's Clients May Not Be Users", Norman give examples of landlords purchasing washing machines, or stove ranges. The landlord does not actually use the product; he/she is simply just purchasing it for the building, and the tenants will use it. Unfortunately, if the washing machine or stove is difficult to use, the tenant cannot send the product back. They can merely complain to their landlord who, in turn, will more than likely not do anything about the situation, therefore 'forcing' the tenant to learn how to operate these items.