I find Don Norman’s article to be particularly topical for me right now as I am in the midst of learning a new programming language. Never before have I really thought about why it is so fundamentally difficult to learn computer languages. These languages are so very different from the flexible, contextual and dynamic verbal and written language that our brains are programmed to learn, input and output. Computer languages are strict, specific and quantitative. The benefit of this is that once they are configured correctly, they yield precise, repeatable results. Humans, on the other hand, are much better at handling dynamic, ever-changing situations.
As a digital designer who has to design interface between human and computers, I can see why this is important for me to understand. When looked at in these terms it is evident that designers have a great deal of responsibility to bridge this divide. You need to be extremely aware of your humanity and the way in which your brain functions. What makes this so difficult is that you must also have a strong understanding of the inner mechanics of the software running underneath.
I think that this is one of the reasons that blogs, social networking sites and Twitter have become so popular. Their simplicity has made the web much more accessible to a greater number of users. People obviously want to post content online, it just took years of refinement for designers to bridge the gap between human and computer understanding.
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