The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman vs As Little Design As Possible, by Sophie Lovell
When comparing The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman vs As Little Design As Possible, by Sophie Lovell, the Slant community recommends The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman for most people. In the question“What are the best books on web design?” The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman is ranked 3rd while As Little Design As Possible, by Sophie Lovell is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman is:
Whatever that's being designed, for whatever purpose, it always has the same goal of being used by someone. This book is focused on that interaction and on why users make mistakes. These principles still apply directly to web design, when design leads users to make mistakes, it will ultimately drive users away.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Focused on the user
Whatever that's being designed, for whatever purpose, it always has the same goal of being used by someone. This book is focused on that interaction and on why users make mistakes. These principles still apply directly to web design, when design leads users to make mistakes, it will ultimately drive users away.
Pro Cross discipline principles
This book isn't focused on recent trends or properties specific to a certain field, and thus applies to all design. It provides a broad view and allows focusing on the fundamental goals of the user experience, rather than being limited in scope.
Pro Many full color photographs
There are many full color photographs through the book of both products and designs by Ram.
Cons
Con Not specifically for web design
This book challenges the reader to think about the design of all objects, and their user-friendliness/usability. It is not specifically targeted towards web designers, but will help web designers think in a way that benefits users.
Con Not specifically on web design
This book focuses on Dieter Rams and his career. Many of his designs are demonstrated throughout the book. However, the book does not specifically focus on teaching design philosophy, but more on the person who created the important design rules and considerations that we use today.