Hi Don and all
Completely agree with your view on Simon. In my class I have my students
read some Simon and then they have to read
Hatchuel, A. (2001). Towards Design Theory and Expandable Rationality: The
Unfinished Program of Herbert Simon. In Journal of Management and
Governance. Vol 5, Numbers 3-4, September, 2001.
which is an excellent comment and contribution that puts Simon's work in
resonance with design and also helps with reflecting upon the core of
design as an approach. I recommend the paper!
Erik
*---------------------------------------------------
Erik Stolterman*
*Professor in Informatics*
*School of Informatics and Computing*
*Indiana University, Bloomington
*http://transground.blogspot.com/
On Mon, Sep 2, 2013 at 7:40 PM, Don Norman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hmm. I better try to summarize better than I managed before.
>
> Simon's work is important. I DO recommend it.
>
> He did think he was writing about design, but his understanding of design
> was focussed upon the problem-solving component, not on the way people
> would interact with the finished product, and certainly not with the
> emotional and aesthetic components. I believe he was unaware of the
> activities of people who are in the design profession (e.g., readers of
> this list). To Simon, design was applied problem solving --
> information-processing problem solving. The environment was mainly relevant
> in such stories as the parables of the ant and of the watchmaker. The
> mental experience of the people interacting with the designs were not
> considered essential.
>
> Note: I, too, was completely ignorant of the work by design practitioners
> 25 years ago when I wrote my first two books on what has become
> "interaction" and "human-centered design." Simon's ignorance was matched
> by my own ignorance. I changed my views. alas, Simon died, so we don't
> know how much he would have changed.
>
> I think he was often wrong. That doesn't detract from the value of reading
> his thoughts. As for being wrong, hell, I'm often wrong. The issue is not
> whether or not one is wrong but whether one learns from the experience.
>
>
> Don
> (At multiple design activities in Shanghai.)
>
>
>
>
> --
> Don Norman
> Nielsen Norman Group, IDEO Fellow
> [log in to unmask] www.jnd.org http://www.core77.com/blog/columns/
> Book: "Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded<
> http://amzn.to/ZOMyys>"
> (DOET2). Pub date: November 2013
> Course: Udacity On-Line course based on
> DOET2<https://www.udacity.com/course/design101> (free).
> Nov 2013.
>
>
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