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

Product Description
This unique guide to interactive system design reflects the experience and vision of Jef Raskin, the creator of the Apple Macintosh project. Other books may show how to use today's widgets and interface ideas effectively. Raskin, however, demonstrates that many current interface paradigms are dead ends, and that to make computers significantly easier to use requires new approaches. He explains how to effect desperately needed changes, offering a wealth of innovative and specific interface ideas for software designers, developers, and product managers. The Apple Macintosh helped to introduce a previous revolution in computer interface design, drawing on the best available technology to establish many of the interface techniques and methods now universal in the computer industry. With this book, Raskin proves again both his farsightedness and his practicality. He also demonstrates how design ideas must be built on a scientific basis, presenting just enough cognitive psychology to link the interface of the future to the experimental evidence and to show why that interface will work. Raskin observes that our honeymoon with digital technology is over: We are tired of having to learn huge, arcane programs to do even the simplest of tasks; we have had our fill of crashing computers; and we are fatigued by the continual pressure to upgrade. The Humane Interface delivers a way for computers, information appliances, and other technology-driven products to continue to advance in power and expand their range of applicability, while becoming free of the hassles and obscurities that plague present products.

The book describes a set of elements that coalesce into a next-generation interface that could revolutionize the way people use computers. Jef does a brilliant job reducing quantification of interface activity to readily understandable terms. And for those who want a deeper, philosophic, scientific look, Jef very briefly delves into information theory to show how to evaluate the ultimate efficiency of drop down menus, error messages, and the like.

Jef has done an enormous amount of research and credits countless pioneers and researchers. His colorful and interesting sidebars and eclectic appendices are interesting side trips. Jef's work is an eloquent, humble, and inspirational salute to current knowledge that awaits implementation. But it is also a primer for every web page developer, every editor working with web page developers, and every application or operating system designer out there. Offering many practical insights, this book lucidly pursues the humane where computers and human lives are becoming ever more entwined.


Every computer programmer should read this book!   May 27, 2000
33 out of 37 found this review helpful

I can not over-emphasize how absolutely important it is for everyone involved in the design or programming of computer software--no matter how big or how small--to read this book. Even designers of non-computer interfaces, like for steroes or vcrs, would benefit from reading it.

The book doesn't just explain the dos and don'ts of interface design--it also clearly explains the WHYS, by going into the psychology of the human mind and explaining interface design from that standpoint.

It is true that the book goes outside the realm of currently-used computer systems, and introduces ideas that can't immediately be put to good use. But that is necessary to get a complete picture of the concepts. (Not to mention the help that it might give to someone who decides to go about designing an all-new computer or operating system of his or her own. This is a hint for all you inventors out there.)

And it isn't just the individual ideas themselves. After finishing the book, I began to have an all-new way of thinking about programming; a whole new attitude which is helping me with some of the projects I'm currently working on. A creative mind can think of many new ideas based on the general concepts presented here, other than the specific things that Raskin mentions.

The book is, for the most part, very pleasant to read (a page-turner!) and focused on the concepts. Very professionally done.


Fascinating, wonderful book -- A MUST READ   April 25, 2000
Elisabeth Riba (Melrose, MA USA)
18 out of 20 found this review helpful

The book opens with a brief look at cognetics. Studying how the mind works, such as matters of attention and habituation, clarifies why many popular designs are often so COUNTERintuitive. Once you have that background, Raskin starts defining terms. Then, he provides formulas for analyzing interface efficiency. As valuable as usability testing can be, it's nice to add some objective measurements to the toolbox.

The last half of the book looks at some popular current practices in software, and points out ways they violate the principles expressed in the first half. Some of his ideas are quite radical, but definitely thought-provoking. I wonder if anyone in the Open Source community would be interested in taking a crack at developing a new system based on these proposals.

Raskin designed the Apple Macintosh and CanonCat systems, both of which are used as frequent examples. An appendix on why the Mac chose the one-button mouse is a must read for any Mac partisan (pro or con). Because the CanonCat is so obscure, I do wish he provided more information (especially pictures) on how it actually looked and worked. But that's a minor quibble.

As someone new to the profession of UI Design, this book has proven invaluable. I'm already using his terminology to explain issues to developers. And I'm still ruminating over some of the other proposals in the last half of the book.

If you've read last year's popular book "The Inmates Are Running The Asylum" by Cooper, you understand the problem exists. This is a good follow-up to start you on the road to fixing it.


Excellent, but doesn't give practical advice   July 16, 2001
DipKnight (Durham, NC)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful

This is a great book! It goes into considerable depth about how people think and how the way we process information should affect computer interface design. The two key concepts are the singular nature of the human locus of attention, and the human ability (and compulsion) to habituate behavior. The author then details how he would design a whole new way of interacting with computers to take advantage of these two key concepts. I found the author's ideas intriguing and his point of view a direct, if somewhat idealistic, challenge to the current human/computer interface paradigm.

What this book isn't, however, is a practical guide for how to improve your own design. This is a very theoretical text (although extremely easy to read), not a reference or a checklist. Be sure you are aware that the book is trying to give you a foundation and a point of view, not a tutorial. Once you recognize that, it is a tremendous read!


You should read this book...   March 13, 2001
Gary F. Patterson (Columbia, SC)
18 out of 21 found this review helpful

There are two categories of people who should read this book:

1) those who write programs and design user interfaces (which today includes everyone who builds a Web page, and

2) those who don't.

For the first category of folks, the point is clear -- there are some well-researched principles to designing user interfaces, and you should know about them before you write code for human consumption. As a matter of fact, the references and bibliography alone are probably worth it for serious programmers.

For those of us in the second category, the book is a glimpse into a world where computers serve useful functions in a simple way. Rather than the complicated, feature-bloated and overly cryptic machines we use today, computers are presented as being capable of adapting themselves to our work, fading into the subconscious, and allowing us to focus on the work itself.

Everyone should come away with an almost obvious thought or two they've never realized, but upon reflection will say, "you know, that's right!" Nothing is taken for granted, and you will never view such standard user interface components as logins and passwords, file systems or text searches the same way.

I'm afraid it will be years before hardware, software, operating systems and development tools catch up to some of these concepts, but there is nothing in it that couldn't technically be implemented today.

Get this book, and pay attention to the footnotes!

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