The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition

Don Norman’s foundational text on user-centered design explains the psychology behind why we interact with objects the way we do. Essential reading for anyone building products.

Core Principles

• Affordances: Design that suggests how to use it
• Signifiers: Indicators of possible actions
• Mapping: Relationship between controls and results
• Feedback: Communicating results of actions
• Conceptual Models: Mental models users form

Why Every PM Should Read This

Understanding design principles helps product managers collaborate with designers, make better product decisions, and advocate for users.