This document discusses the design of the Kindle e-reader according to conceptual models of designers' goals, users' expectations, and the system itself. It examines how the Kindle's display design maps these models and considers affordances like buttons, keyboard, and screen, citing studies on their usability. Constraints of early Kindles like mobility and note-taking are addressed, as well as improvements in newer versions like page navigation and browsing capabilities, though small screen size remains an issue.

1. Kindle According to Norman
Brittney Huntington

2. A look at Kindle
• Designers goals and
reader expectations
unclear
• Book?
• Not a book?
• Better than a book?

3. Kindle Display Design
Conceptual Models:
1. Designers Model
2. Users Model
3. System Image
– Mapping

4. Kindle Decision Tree
Reading w Kindle
Book Magazine Newspaper
Wuthering Heights New York Times Wall Street Journal
Blog
The Hunger Games The New Yorker Sports Illustrated Perez Hilton

5. Kindle Affordances
• Buttons
–Positioning
–Size
• Keyboard
–Mayer’s pre-training principle:
similar to many other devices
used in everyday life like
smartphones and computers.
• Screen Display
–Clarke et al. (2002) focus group study
–Mayer, R., (2005). The Cambridge
Handbook of Multimedia Learning.
Cambridge University Press

6. Constraints to Kindle Display
Design
• Older Versions
1. Mobility
2. Note-Taking
• Newer Versions
1. Navigation between
pages
2. Simultaneous Browsing
3. Small Screen Size still a
problem
Brown et al.(2001)

7. References
• Clarke, D., Goodwin, S., Samuelson, T., Coker, C.
(2002). A Qualitative assessment of the Kindle e- book
reader: results from initial focus groups.
Performance Measurement and Metrics, 9, 118-129.
• Brown, G.J. (2001). Beyond Print: Reading Digitally,
Library Hi Tech, 19, 390-399.
• Mayer, R. (2005). The Cambridge Handbook of
Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press.
• Norman, R. (1969) The Design of Everyday Things.
Currency and Doubleday: New York.