Affordance, Conventions, and Design by Donald A. Norman
Thoughtless Acts by Jane Fulton Suri
Donald A. Norman’s Affordance, Conventions, and Design explores the nature of affordances in comparison to perceived affordances as well as the role design constraints play in the developmental process.
Contemporary technology has focused our primary interactions to screens where, as Norman states, “[interactions] are abstract and arbitrary.” The prevalence of screen based interfaces have allowed swiping, tapping, and scrolling to become the pillars of our tech lexicon. The perceived affordances of a screen interface can trap and confuse uninitiated users. In contrast, Jane Fulton Suri’s exploration into the realm of “thoughtless acts” highlights the real affordances unexpectedly found in everyday objects.
By applying Suri and Norman’s work, we can successfully design an interface that not only serves the desired purpose i.e., all of its perceived affordances are also within the scope of its real affordances but, its real affordances also extend well beyond.
An example of this is the safety pin. Early iterations of the safety pin were used to secure clothing by the Greeks. However, its use extends well beyond that. People use safety pins for everything from makeshift toothpicks to childish entertainment (school children sometimes pierce the top layer of skin on their fingers for fun).
Baby Diaper with safety pin
Safety pin piercing skin