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I've admired Jef Raskin for years. For those who don't know, he is the "Father of the Macintosh," one of the original geniuses who guided the Mac in the early days. But, more than a computer scientist, Raskin is a cognitive psychologist. He studies how the brain works with special emphasis on how that relates to us using computers. His magnum opus was the Canon Cat, which was an excellent and well-thought-out little computer.
In The Humane Interface, Raskin goes into detail describing how computers can be made easier to understand and use. Ever want to know why you really don't like Windows? The answer is in this book. In fact, there's so much in this book that makes sense, I really want to send a copy to every employee at Microsoft.
I loved reading this book and nodding my head in rabid agreement. Raskin states, "There has never been any technical reason for a computer to take more than a few seconds to begin operation when it is turned on." So why then does Windows (or Linux!) take so darn long to start up? The PalmPilot is on instantly, as is your cell phone. But for some reason, we tolerate the computer taking a few eons to start. (And until consumers complain about it, things won't change.)
Computers can be easy to use, and the people who design them and design software need to read this book. Do you ever get the impression that the person who designed a piece of software must have come from the same company that designed the front panel on your VCR? Why should you have to double-click anything? What does Ctrl+D mean one thing in one program and a completely different thing in another? And what's the point of the Yes/No confirmation if the user is in the habit of clicking Yes without thinking about it? Raskin neatly probes all these areas.
While I admire everything Raskin has to say, the book is pretty heavy on the psychology end. Myself, I enjoy cognitive psychology (especially books by Raskin's cohort Donald Norman), though some may find that part of the book boring. Even so, Raskin builds and backs his argument in a most eloquent and scientific manner. Especially if you design software or need to teach or train people to use computers, this book deserves a spot on your shelf. --Dan Gookin
From Library Journal
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant, insightful perspective on human interfaces,
By
This review is from: The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems (Paperback)
Jef Raskin was truly a visionary in the field of human interfaces and this book is a culmination of everything he learned over his lifetime. Jef was one of those who really cared about his work, and the fact that he was still involved in human interface design in his later years is only proof of this.I would consider this book necessary reading for anyone who wants to think "outside the box" and look at human interaction at the simplest level of human thought--things not bound by windows and GUIs. I found the book delightful and easy to read, and many of the insights provided have stayed with me as I've continued to think about the future of user interfaces. IMO the ideas and more importantly the very way of thinking in this book is still relevant in 2008, 8 years after it was published, for the very reason that it is not tied to any specific technology. In fact, Jef uses an example from a 1979 throughout the book.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Cheerleader at a football party,
By
This review is from: The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems (Paperback)
This 'new' book arrived with 6 price tags stuck on top of one another and worn corners. Had obviously been 'passed around' more than a little before Amazon found a buyer. Not sure this feedback is über-helpful or relevant to future purchasers but it is making me feel better to leave it. :)
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could Have Been a Classic,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems (Paperback)
With the kind of know-how and credentials that Jeff Raskin has, this should have been the DEFINITIVE book on modern interface design.However, I have to agree with some of the other reviewers who believe that this book was a missed opportunity. Although it contains some great content, especially in the first few chapters, Raskin too often turns his book into an advertisement for the Canon Cat (never heard of it before this book) and a forum to work out some truly half-baked notions. For example, at one point in the book, Raskin suggests that software publishers should offer their products on a "command by command basis". Can you imagine trying to edit a document and being told that you can't format your text in a particular way because you haven't bought that command? Under his proposed model, this type of thing would happen all the time. And don't even think about sharing documents, because there would be no ability to standardize the application's feature set across computers. Unfortunately there are quite a few of these kinds of ideas advanced in this book. The book starts very strong and I don't think that there is anyone better at covering the fundamentals than Raskin. Sadly he couldn't help himself from turning what should have been a great book into a scratchpad of ideas.
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