[ About the Author ]

John Whalen has a PhD in Cognitive Science and over 15 years of human-centered design experience. As the lead of psychological insights and innovation at Brilliant Experience, he uses his unique blend of psychology, design thinking, and lean startup techniques to uncover business opportunities and design solutions for Fortune 100, nonprofit, and startup clients. John is a frequent presenter at conferences and a past president of the User Experience Professionals Association in Washington, D.C. His current practice focus is cognitive design—the art and science of harnessing cognitive psychology to understand users, inform design, and create compelling products and services.

[ Colophon ]

The animal on the cover of Design for How People Think is a Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria). The species gets its name from Queen Victoria of Britain, who oversaw her empire’s annexation of its habitat in Papua New Guinea. These ground-dwelling birds live in the island’s marshes and forests. Habitat destruction and human predation have made the Victoria crowned pigeon a near-threatened species. It is the extinct dodo bird’s closest surviving relation.

A white-tipped crest of lacy feathers distinguishes Victoria crowned pigeons from other pigeons. They have blue-gray plumage, red irises, orange feet, and curved beaks. Their heads are small relative to their bodies, and their bodies are the largest of all pigeons. As adults, these birds can weigh 5 lb and span 26–29 in. Though they have working wings, Victoria crowned pigeons fly rarely. They feed on fallen berries, seeds, and insects, so they never have to leave the ground for food.

In captivity, Victoria crowned pigeons can live 30–40 years. They mate for life, attracting a partner with bows and a display of that crest of feathers. Females lay one egg at a time and must incubate for about 30 days, a responsibility they share with their mates. Unlike most birds, hatchling pigeons will feed on milk produced by their parents in their first few days.

Victoria crowned pigeons feed, perch, and roost in groups of 2–10. Their nests are made of twigs, leaves, and roots, and they begin each morning by crying out together with their booming bird call.

Many of the animals on O’Reilly’s covers are endangered; all of them are important to the world. To learn more about how you can help, go to animals.oreilly.com.

The cover illustration is by Karen Montgomery, based on a black and white engraving from Brehms Thierleben. The cover fonts are Gilroy Semibold and Guardian Sans. The text font is Adobe Minion Pro; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is Dalton Maag’s Ubuntu Mono.