User Friendly book cover

User Friendly by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant Summary

User Friendly
Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant
4.14 (2866 Reviews)
Design
Technology
History
Aperçu
Points Clés
Auteur
Questions Fréquentes

Overview of User Friendly

"User Friendly" reveals how design invisibly shapes our lives, tracing UX from 1920s feminism through Silicon Valley's rise. A foundational text for understanding our relationship with technology, it challenges designers to create products that prioritize human well-being over addictive interfaces.

Similar books to User Friendly

Explorez Votre Façon d'Apprendre
Résumé Rapide11min

Ressentez le livre à travers la voix de l'auteur

Approfondissement42min

Transformez les connaissances en idées captivantes et riches en exemples

Fiches mémo7 idées

Capturez les idées clés en un éclair pour un apprentissage rapide

Fun26min

Profitez du livre de manière ludique et engageante

Points clés

1

When Design Became Invisible-and Dangerous

play
00:00
00:00

On March 28, 1979, Fred Scheimann narrowly escaped death when a pipe burst in the basement of Three Mile Island nuclear facility. Above him, operators faced a nightmare: eleven hundred dials, six hundred warning lights, and critical information hidden from view. When the PORV valve malfunctioned, its indicator light showed only that a switch had been flipped-not whether the valve had actually closed. As the reactor core reached 4,300 degrees, instruments displayed only "???" instead of readings. Operators, drowning in information yet starving for understanding, made a catastrophic decision to shut off emergency pumps. They came within 700 degrees of a meltdown that would have sent radioactive material into the atmosphere. This wasn't just a nuclear crisis-it was a design crisis. The same fundamental problem plagues your smartphone, your car dashboard, your cable box. When machines fail to communicate clearly with humans, the consequences range from mild frustration to catastrophic failure. Donald Norman, who investigated Three Mile Island and later coined the term "user experience," recognized something profound: humans might make errors, but they aren't wrong. Designers must accommodate human limitations rather than expect perfect behavior. Today's redesigned control room at Three Mile Island tells a different story-consistent indicators, visible information, and systems mapped to mirror physical reality. This transformation represents our journey from machines that doom us to make mistakes to a world where even advanced AI feels intuitive.

2

The Man Who Put Humans in the Blueprint

3

The Science of Why We Fail

4

Teaching Machines to Earn Our Trust

5

The Hidden Language of Interfaces

6

When Empathy Becomes Industrial

7

The Paradox of Perfection-and What Comes Next

Explorez Votre Façon d'Apprendre
User Friendly n'est pas qu'un simple livre — c'est une masterclass en Design. Pour vous aider à absorber ses leçons de la manière qui vous convient le mieux, nous proposons cinq modes d'apprentissage uniques. Que vous soyez un penseur profond, un apprenant rapide ou un amateur d'histoires, il y a un mode conçu pour votre style.

Mode Résumé Rapide - Lisez ou écoutez le résumé de User Friendly en 11 minutes

Résumé Rapide
Résumé Rapide
Résumé de User Friendly en 11 Minutes

Décomposez les idées clés de User Friendly en points faciles à comprendre pour découvrir comment les équipes innovantes créent, collaborent et grandissent.

play
00:00
00:00

Mode Fiches mémo - Top 7 Idées de User Friendly en Bref

Fiches mémo
Fiches mémo
Top 7 Idées de User Friendly en Bref

Condensez User Friendly en indices de mémoire rapides mettant en évidence les principes clés de franchise, de travail d'équipe et de résilience créative.

Flash Mode Swiper

Mode Fun - Leçons de User Friendly Racontées en Histoires de 26 Min

Fun
Fun
Leçons de User Friendly Racontées en Histoires de 26 Min

Découvrez User Friendly à travers des récits vivants qui transforment les leçons d'innovation en moments mémorables et applicables.

play
00:00
00:00

Mode Personnaliser - Lisez ou écoutez le résumé de User Friendly en 0 minutes

Personnaliser
Personnaliser
Découvrez User Friendly à votre façon.

Posez n'importe quelle question, choisissez la voix et co-créez des idées qui résonnent vraiment avec vous.

Personalize Mode

Cree par des anciens de Columbia University a San Francisco

BeFreed rassemble une communaute mondiale de plus de 200 000 esprits curieux

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star
Commencez votre parcours d'apprentissage, maintenant
Telecharger ce resume

Obtenez le resume de User Friendly en PDF ou EPUB gratuit. Imprimez-le ou lisez-le hors ligne a tout moment.