Cited by 2,040Innovative Human-Technology InteractionUsability and User Interface DesignInteractive and Immersive Displays

Affordance, conventions, and design

Norman, Donald A.·1999·Interactions

Abstract

I was quietly lurking in the background of a CHI-Web discussion, when I lost all reason: I just couldn’t take it anymore. “I put an affordance there, ” a participant would say, “I wonder if the object affords clicking … “ Affordances this, affordances that. And no data, just opinion. Yikes! What had I unleashed upon the world? “No! ” I screamed, and out came this article. I don’t know if it changed anyone’s minds, but it brought the CHI-Web discussion to a halt (not what good list managers want to happen). But then, Steven Pemberton asked me to submit it here. Hope it doesn’t stop the discussion again. Mind you, this is not the exact piece I dashed off to CHI-Web: it has been polished and refined: the requirements of print are more demanding than those of e-mail discussions.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1145/301153.301168

Cites

6 of 6 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Media affordance theory suggests that technologies offer specific capabilities that influence their use.

    “Media affordance theory suggests that technologies offer specific capabilities that influence their use (Gibson, 1986; Norman, 1999).”
  • The affordances of technologies can play out differently in different environments.

    “This is not to suggest that technologies are value neutral, but that the affordances that they possess [59,100] can play out differently in different environments.”

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Authors
Norman, D. A.
Affiliations
Nielsen Norman Group
Corresponding author
Norman, Donald A.
Venue
Interactions
Published
1999-05
Volume
6
Issue
3
Pages
38-43
ISSN
  • 1072-5520 (ISSN-L)
  • 1558-3449
OpenAlex
W2091909921
Cited by
2,040
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 122 · 2025: 137 · 2024: 116 · 2023: 88 · 2022: 182 · 2021: 130 · 2020: 101 · 2019: 101 · 2018: 122 · 2017: 110 · 2016: 104 · 2015: 98 · 2014: 83 · 2013: 84 · 2012: 63
FWCI
20.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
interactions (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Innovative Human-Technology Interaction
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Usability and User Interface Design
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Interactive and Immersive Displays
Keywords
affordances, design conventions, user interface design, usability, human-computer interaction

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