Years ago someone loaned me their copy of “The Psychology of Everyday Things” by Donald A. Norman and warned that I would not be able to go through doors the same again.
He was right. I now no longer blame myself with I pull on “push” doors even if the sign says push. Norman explains in that book that the design of the door and other things often tells us how to use it at some level more basic than reading instructions. He argued that’s how things should work.. The books has returned to print two years ago and been renamed The Design of Everyday Things.
Norman has a new book out “Emotional Design” about why we love and hate everyday things. That’s on “To read” list now.