Don Norman is famous for “Norman Doors”: doors that are confusing to open. He keeps changing fields. First, as an electrical engineer, then a mathematical psychologist, which became Cognitive Psychology. But Don thought Cognitive Psychology was too narrow, so he helped start the world’s first department of Cognitive Science at UC San Diego while consulting at Xerox PARC, publishing papers in the AI journals on what is today known as GOFAI (Good Old-Fashioned AI).
At UCSD, one of his young postdoctoral fellows in Cognitive Science said he was wrong (Don likes it when this happens). While Don was busy helping invent Human Computer Interaction, the postdoc, Geoff Hinton, worked with Don’s colleague, Dave Rumelhart, to invent the modern neural network and back propagation algorithm. After life as VP of Advanced Technology at Apple he decided to become a designer in order to design designers. He’s an educator, impacting students throughout the world through his lectures and books, including Design of Everyday Things and Design for a Better World. That last book compelled him to launch a charity, the Don Norman Design Award and Summit, to reward early career practitioners who launch projects for societal needs.
Summit 2024
Sunday ·
5:15pm
In our closing session, we are honored to work with Don Norman, the creator of human-centered design and a man who defies categorization. Don shares his reflections on a lifetime dedicated to integrating human needs with technological advancements. What does he think of what we’ve co-created? And what does he envision for a hopeful future?