Design

The Big Book of New Design Ideas
$35.00
As of 2008, this 2005 book seems very outdated. I only found one or two inspirational designs in the entire book. Though I do like the layout, this book was not useful to me.

Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students (Design Briefs)
$21.95
After reading all the glittering reviews (and realizing that I could probably do with a little more typeface history and design knowledge), I purchased this book from Amazon. To be honest, I found the inside of the book to be laid out in a very ADD manner, with varying multi-colored, different-sized, intersecting sections of what-not COMPETING FOR ATTENTION. The information itself was good, but to be honest it was so badly laid out that it hindered me from reading any further, and had to force myself to read to the 20th page. As a Master's level Graphic Design student, I am APPALLED at the design or lack thereof of the pages of this book (with the exception of the cover), and even more shocked that this is considered one of the best typeface textbooks there is (and even more so that it was written by a PROFESSOR who is currently teaching in this field). There has to be a MUCH better and reader-friendly textbook on type out there.

Fashion Design Studio
$34.99
I bought this as a surprise gift for my best friend's daughter who is in 6th grade. Both Mother and daughter loved it and our little designer is going to town on creating new looks. Before taking it home to wrap, I showed it around the office and there were several people who wanted to keep it in mind for future gift giving. It's a great value and the little dressmaker form that comes with it is just perfect to "drape" designs onto.

Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things
$16.95
The subtitle of this book is misleading: "Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things". The last 1/3 of the book deals with how emotions will play a role in robotics. Even in 2009, robots are still behind the scenes. Perhaps Norman's assertion that when robots take on emotional aspects, they will become commonplace but until then, we could all stand better designed 'Everyday things'.

One thing that Norman does predict in this 2005 book is that the video game industry would do well to take a better look at behavioral and reflective design - rather than purely visceral design.

The wild success of the Wii over the Playstation 3 shows Norman to be somewhat of a prophet in this regard. Wii design from a play standpoint focuses nearly entirely on an antithesis of the visceral/visual sense - with players not having limbs and so forth. Controls are also simple rather than complicated. The focus is on personalization and relational aspects; crossing multi-generational lines.

In all, the book would be well served with many more examples of actual everyday things that connect on visceral, behavioral and reflective levels rather than theorize about the future of servant robots.