No product is an island. A product is more than the product. It is a cohesive, integrated set of experiences. Think through all of the stages of a product or service - from initial intentions through final reflections, from first usage to help, service, and maintenance. Make them all work together seamlessly. That's systems thinking.

Rule of thumb: if you think something is clever and sophisticated beware-it is probably self-indulgence.

Everyday people are not very good designers.

What makes something simple or complex? It's not the number of dials or controls or how many features it has: It is whether the person using the device has a good conceptual model of how it operates.

Design is really an act of communication, which means having a deep understanding of the person with whom the designer is communicating.

Attractive things work better When you wash and wax a car, it drives better, doesn’t it? Or at least feels like it does.

Readers always seem to think that the author has some control over the design of their books.