Developer affordances

You’ve probably pushed a “PULL” door before. Or pulled a “PUSH.” Either way, it makes you feel stupid, right?

In his classic book The Design of Everyday Things, Don Norman points out the problem is not the user, it’s the designer. According to Norman, the handle “affords” pulling, so people grab and yank before reading.

What a relief, we can stop feeling stupid. But… it’s up to us to send the right message on the things we design. Norman also created the term user experience—and developer experience is an offshoot of that practice.

The new year is a great time to reassess the interactions developers have with your product. You can use the free 13 Elements of DX sheet to evaluate where you stand today. Then make a plan to help developers do the right thing in 2021.

Let us know what projects you already have planned!