Tragic Design: The Impact of Bad Product Design and How to Fix It

Bad design is everywhere, and its cost is much higher than we think. In this thought-provoking book, authors Jonathan Shariat and Cynthia Savard Saucier explain how poorly designed products can anger, sadden, exclude, and even kill people who use them. The designers responsible certainly didn’t intend harm, so what can you do to avoid making similar mistakes? __Tragic Design__ examines real case studies that show how certain design choices adversely affected users, and includes in-depth interviews with authorities in the design industry. Pick up this book and learn how you can be an agent of change in the design community and at your company. You’ll explore: * Designs that can kill, including the bad interface that doomed a young cancer patient * Designs that anger, through impolite technology and dark patterns * How design can inadvertently cause emotional pain * Designs that exclude people through lack of accessibility, diversity, and justice * How to advocate for ethical design when it isn’t easy to do so * Tools and techniques that can help you avoid harmful design decisions * Inspiring professionals who use design to improve our world [ contents ] 4 Foreword 6 Preface 8 Introduction 14 The Interface that Killed Jenny 14 The Role and Responsibilities of Designers 18 Conclusion 22 Key Takeaways 22 Design Can Kill 30 Stupid Errors Versus Stupid Users 31 Case Study 1: Therac-25 32 Case Study 2: Ferry Crash in New York City 40 Case Study 3: Ford Pinto 45 Case Study 4: Flight 148 51 Alternatives to Modes 54 Fault Tree Analysis 60 Conclusion 61 Key Takeaways 62 Design Can Anger 66 Why Should You Care About Emotions? 67 Characteristics of Impolite Technologies 68 Dark Patterns 81 Conclusion 94 Key Takeaways 94 Design Can Sadden 98 The “Dribbblelisation” of Our Users 98 Inadvertent Cruelty 99 Self-Blame and Humiliation 103 “Power User” Features 103 Allowing for Abuse 106 How to Prevent Causing Sadness 108 Conclusion 120 Key Takeaways 121 Design Can Exclude 128 Accessibility 130 Diversity, Inclusive Design, Design for All 141 Conclusion 161 Key Takeaways 162 Tools and Techniques 166 Gather as Much Data as You Can 166 Learn to Recognize Emotions 170 Conclusion 176 Key Takeaways 177 What We Can Do 182 What We All Can Do 182 What Designers Can Do 186 They Are Doing Good 196 Physical Good 196 Emotional Good 197 Inclusion 198 Justice 199 What Will You Do? 200 Companies, Products, and Links 202 [ Index ] 208 Bad design is everywhere, and its cost is much higher than we think. This book discusses how the failure to prioritize good design can cause real, physical harm, and provides practical advice for designing the world into a better place. Written primarily for UI/UX designers, Tragic Design features personal stories and interviews with people who have been affected by bad design. The book also includes a section on how a layperson can be part of the solution for making our world better through good design. 糟糕的设计不仅会让人们感到不快或沮丧,它还常常造成无法弥补的伤害。设计师乔纳森·沙里亚特(Jonathan Shariat)和辛西娅·萨瓦德·索西尔(Cynthia Savard Saucier)给出了可信的案例研究。例如:医疗软件因为其过于复杂且不必要的功能导致罹患癌症的年轻患者死亡;飞机因有一个难以辨认的控制面板屏幕而坠毁在山上。除了这些致人于死地的设计以外,作者们还论述了糟糕的设计如何令用户愤怒、悲伤、恼火,带来不公;甚至妨碍用户顺利使用产品,进而令用户错失良机。尽管作者们把重点篇幅用以阐释问题,但他们也给出了令人眼前一亮的解决方案。他们提倡进行用户测试,并利用结果来反馈设计决策。getAbstract向设计方向的学生、教授、投资者、软件工程师、网页开发人员、产品设计师,以及任何对设计及流程感兴趣的人,推荐这本透彻而富有见地的概述。