Donald Arthur Norman
- Born:
- December 25, 1935, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Cognitive Psychologist, Design Researcher, Professor, Author
Early Life and Education
- Earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957.
- Received an M.S. 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 at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) for many years.
- Founded and chaired the Department of Cognitive Science at UCSD.
- Executive at Apple, where he held the title of Apple Fellow.
- Co-founded the Nielsen Norman Group, a user experience (UX) consulting firm.
- Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Science and Psychology at UCSD.
- Professor at Northwestern University in the fields of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Design.
Notable Works
- Authored numerous influential books on design and usability.
- Developed key concepts in user-centered design and interaction design.
Selected Publications:
- Cognitive Psychology (1969)
- Memory and Attention (1976)
- Learning and Memory (1982)
- The Psychology of Everyday Things (1988) - Later retitled as The Design of Everyday Things
- Turn Signals Are the Facial Expressions of Automobiles (1992)
- Things That Make Us Smart: Defending Human Attributes in the Age of the Machine (1993)
- Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things (2004)
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Legacy and Impact
Donald Norman is a highly influential figure in the fields of cognitive science, design, and usability. His work has significantly shaped the way products are designed and used, emphasizing the importance of human-centered design principles.